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Making Better Lives: Patient-Focused Care for Low Back Pain (LBP)

Primary Purpose

Chronic Low Back Pain, Hip Ostearthritis, Myofascial Pain Syndrome

Status
Completed
Phase
Not Applicable
Locations
United States
Study Type
Interventional
Intervention
Patient-Centered Care
Imaging-Directed Care
Sponsored by
VA Office of Research and Development
About
Eligibility
Locations
Arms
Outcomes
Full info

About this trial

This is an interventional treatment trial for Chronic Low Back Pain focused on measuring Chronic Low Back Pain, Aged, Elderly, Primary Care, Assessment, Lumbar, Spinal Stenosis, Hip Osteoarthritis, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Maladaptive Coping, Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, Insomnia, Sacroiliac Joint Pain, Lateral Hip and Thigh Pain, Anxiety, Dementia, Recent Leg Length Discrepancy

Eligibility Criteria

60 Years - 89 Years (Adult, Older Adult)All SexesDoes not accept healthy volunteers

Inclusion Criteria:

  • English-speaking (to ensure the validity of data collected)
  • Age 60 and older
  • Lumbar MRI within past 30 days and is without evidence of infection, malignancy, or acute fracture OR scheduled for a lumbar MRI within the next 30 days
  • CLBP, defined as pain in the lower back of at least moderate severity (assessed with a verbal rating scale), every day or almost every day, for at least 3 months
  • No red flags that would indicate a serious underlying disorder that would necessitate urgent and specialized treatment, i.e.,

    • weight loss
    • fever
    • sudden severe LBP
    • change in bowels/bladder
    • back pain that awakens from sleep
    • recent leg weakness
  • No pain in other body locations that is more severe than their low back pain
  • No psychotic symptoms
  • No previous spine surgery
  • No dementia (Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination score of > 24)
  • No acute illness
  • No prohibitive communication impairment (e.g., severe hearing or visual impairment)
  • Able to commit to 6 months of study participation

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Vulnerable subjects will not be enrolled
  • Neither pregnant subjects nor women of childbearing potential will be included because the investigators are targeting older Veterans with CLBP
  • Neither children nor prisoners will be included
  • Incompetent subjects will be excluded from participating in this research, as determined by performance on the Folstein Mini Mental State Examination

Sites / Locations

  • VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA

Arms of the Study

Arm 1

Arm 2

Arm Type

Experimental

Placebo Comparator

Arm Label

Patient-Centered Care

Imaging-Directed Care

Arm Description

Patient-centered care will be directed by geriatricians who have been trained to assess and treat 11 conditions that commonly affect chronic low back pain.

Imaging-Directed Care will allow patients to follow-up their initial imaging with whatever course they (and/or their doctor) chose, should they chose to follow any course at all.

Outcomes

Primary Outcome Measures

Participants' Level of Low Back Pain-associated Disability as Assessed by Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ)
The Roland Morris Questionnaire is a 24 item yes/no measure of back pain interference with various daily activities. It is a well validated measure of low back pain disability. The total score ranges from 0 to 24 with a higher score meaning greater impairment. Our main outcome measure is reported as the change in Roland Morris score from baseline to 6 months.
Participants' Average 7-day Self-reported Level of Low Back Pain as Assessed by 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale
Pain rated on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is worst possible pain. Outcome is change score.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Full Information

First Posted
February 12, 2016
Last Updated
July 15, 2019
Sponsor
VA Office of Research and Development
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1. Study Identification

Unique Protocol Identification Number
NCT02697435
Brief Title
Making Better Lives: Patient-Focused Care for Low Back Pain (LBP)
Official Title
Patient-Centered Versus Imaging-Directed Care for Older Veterans With Chronic LBP
Study Type
Interventional

2. Study Status

Record Verification Date
July 2019
Overall Recruitment Status
Completed
Study Start Date
April 1, 2016 (Actual)
Primary Completion Date
May 31, 2018 (Actual)
Study Completion Date
August 31, 2018 (Actual)

3. Sponsor/Collaborators

Responsible Party, by Official Title
Sponsor
Name of the Sponsor
VA Office of Research and Development

4. Oversight

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Drug Product
No
Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated Device Product
No
Product Manufactured in and Exported from the U.S.
No
Data Monitoring Committee
No

5. Study Description

Brief Summary
Back pain is a huge problem for millions of Americans, including nearly 11 million Veterans. Our older Veterans suffer the most. Citizens spend billions of dollars, yet consistently get poor results. Primary Care Providers are often tasked with diagnosing and treating Chronic Low Back Pain, even though they are often undereducated in the field. These PCPs often use advanced imaging, usually MRIs to guide care. These images often show degenerative disc disease and other common pathologies in older adults, even those who are pain free, which can lead to misdiagnosis and treatment. The investigators believe that Chronic Low Back Pain is a syndrome, a final common pathway for the expression of multiple contributors that often lie outside the spine itself. For example, hip osteoarthritis, knee pain, and even anxiety could all lessen back pain if addressed and treated probably. Investigators will measure participants' low back pain-associated disability with the well-validated RMDQ. Data will be collected at baseline and monthly via telephone. The investigators hypothesize that veterans who receive PCCET will experience significantly greater reduction in low back pain-associated disability than those who receive IAUC at six months. Investigators will also measure participants' low back pain with the 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale for Pain. Data will be collected at baseline and monthly via telephone. The investigators hypothesize that veterans who receive PCCET will experience significantly greater reduction in low back pain than those who receive IAUC at six months. The goal of this study is to compare patients treated with usual care, which usually starts with imaging, versus patients who are treated by trained geriatricians who know how to recognize and address 11 key conditions that commonly drive pain and disability in older adults. The investigators believe that older patients who receive care tailored to their needs by educated PCPs will ultimately have less back pain and, more importantly, better quality of life.
Detailed Description
Nearly half of our 22 million US military Veterans are age 65 and older and, within this population, low back pain is common, costly and often disabling. The prevalence of low back pain in those 85+, the most vulnerable and fastest growing segment of society, is estimated at 44%. Chronic low back pain (CLBP, i.e., present for 6 months or more) is associated with the overwhelming majority of healthcare resource utilization and personal suffering. Treating back problems cost Americans more than $30 billion in 2007- up from $16 billion in 1997 (in 2007 dollars). Despite these staggering data, there is no evidence that the care of patients with CLBP has improved, and the use of invasive, potentially morbid, and often ineffective interventions (e.g., epidural corticosteroid injections and spine surgery) continues to skyrocket. Primary care providers (PCP) who are tasked with treating CLBP without adequate education often use advanced imaging (most commonly magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]) to guide care. Imaging-identified pathology (e.g., degenerative disc and facet disease, bulging discs) is ubiquitous in older adults, even in those that are pain-free. It is not surprising, therefore, that imaging-guided treatments often lead to suboptimal outcomes and potential morbidity. In contrast to how CLBP is often conceptualized and treated, the investigators conceptualize CLBP as a syndrome, that is, a final common pathway for the expression of multiple contributors that often lie outside the spine itself, for example, hip osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia syndrome, and anxiety. Treating CLBP and ameliorating disability in older adults necessitates addressing multiple conditions and risk factors; however, the expertise to evaluate and treat all of the disorders that can contribute to CLBP typically resides in multiple specialty silos, making a comprehensive approach to treating CLBP difficult to implement. Through the support of a 2-year Rehab R&D Merit Review pilot award, the investigators have laid the essential foundation for delivering more comprehensive and patient-centric care to older Veterans with CLBP. The investigators have: 1) synthesized, through a modified Delphi process, evidence on evaluating and treating 11 key conditions that commonly drive pain and disability in older adults with CLBP 2) created algorithms to be used in the clinical setting to treat these 11 conditions 3) successfully trained geriatrician providers in a practical structured assessment of the 11 conditions, and 4) validated the prevalence of these conditions specifically in older Veterans In the current application, the investigators are proposing a 2-site pilot study to explore the impact of delivering patient-centered comprehensive evaluation and treatment (PCCET) as compared with imaging-associated usual care (IAUC) to older Veterans with CLBP. In addition to examining whether PCCET is more effective than IAUC for reducing pain and functional limitations when delivered by geriatricians in 2 VA medical centers, the investigators will evaluate PCCET's impact on health-related quality of life and health care utilization. The investigators also will collect data to identify barriers and facilitators to implementing PCCET from the perspective of patients and providers.

6. Conditions and Keywords

Primary Disease or Condition Being Studied in the Trial, or the Focus of the Study
Chronic Low Back Pain, Hip Ostearthritis, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Maladaptive Coping, Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, Insomnia, Sacroiliac Joint Pain, Lateral Hip and Thigh Pain, Anxiety, Dementia, Recent Leg Length Discrepancy
Keywords
Chronic Low Back Pain, Aged, Elderly, Primary Care, Assessment, Lumbar, Spinal Stenosis, Hip Osteoarthritis, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Maladaptive Coping, Lumbar Spinal Stenosis, Insomnia, Sacroiliac Joint Pain, Lateral Hip and Thigh Pain, Anxiety, Dementia, Recent Leg Length Discrepancy

7. Study Design

Primary Purpose
Treatment
Study Phase
Not Applicable
Interventional Study Model
Parallel Assignment
Masking
Investigator
Masking Description
Research Coordinators who perform the "data measure" portion of the baseline are masked from knowing which group (usual care or patient care) the participant ends up in. This is also true of monthly follow-up calls.
Allocation
Randomized
Enrollment
55 (Actual)

8. Arms, Groups, and Interventions

Arm Title
Patient-Centered Care
Arm Type
Experimental
Arm Description
Patient-centered care will be directed by geriatricians who have been trained to assess and treat 11 conditions that commonly affect chronic low back pain.
Arm Title
Imaging-Directed Care
Arm Type
Placebo Comparator
Arm Description
Imaging-Directed Care will allow patients to follow-up their initial imaging with whatever course they (and/or their doctor) chose, should they chose to follow any course at all.
Intervention Type
Other
Intervention Name(s)
Patient-Centered Care
Intervention Description
Patient-centered care will be directed by geriatricians who have been trained to assess and treat 11 conditions that commonly affect chronic low back pain. Treatments may involve behavioral components, physical therapy, or medical treatments such as cortisone shots, depending on the patient's needs.
Intervention Type
Other
Intervention Name(s)
Imaging-Directed Care
Intervention Description
Imaging-Directed Care will allow patients to follow-up their initial imaging with whatever course they (and/or their doctor) chose, should they chose to follow any course at all.
Primary Outcome Measure Information:
Title
Participants' Level of Low Back Pain-associated Disability as Assessed by Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ)
Description
The Roland Morris Questionnaire is a 24 item yes/no measure of back pain interference with various daily activities. It is a well validated measure of low back pain disability. The total score ranges from 0 to 24 with a higher score meaning greater impairment. Our main outcome measure is reported as the change in Roland Morris score from baseline to 6 months.
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months
Title
Participants' Average 7-day Self-reported Level of Low Back Pain as Assessed by 0-10 Numeric Rating Scale
Description
Pain rated on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is no pain and 10 is worst possible pain. Outcome is change score.
Time Frame
Baseline and 6 months

10. Eligibility

Sex
All
Minimum Age & Unit of Time
60 Years
Maximum Age & Unit of Time
89 Years
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: English-speaking (to ensure the validity of data collected) Age 60 and older Lumbar MRI within past 30 days and is without evidence of infection, malignancy, or acute fracture OR scheduled for a lumbar MRI within the next 30 days CLBP, defined as pain in the lower back of at least moderate severity (assessed with a verbal rating scale), every day or almost every day, for at least 3 months No red flags that would indicate a serious underlying disorder that would necessitate urgent and specialized treatment, i.e., weight loss fever sudden severe LBP change in bowels/bladder back pain that awakens from sleep recent leg weakness No pain in other body locations that is more severe than their low back pain No psychotic symptoms No previous spine surgery No dementia (Folstein Mini-Mental State Examination score of > 24) No acute illness No prohibitive communication impairment (e.g., severe hearing or visual impairment) Able to commit to 6 months of study participation Exclusion Criteria: Vulnerable subjects will not be enrolled Neither pregnant subjects nor women of childbearing potential will be included because the investigators are targeting older Veterans with CLBP Neither children nor prisoners will be included Incompetent subjects will be excluded from participating in this research, as determined by performance on the Folstein Mini Mental State Examination
Overall Study Officials:
First Name & Middle Initial & Last Name & Degree
Debra K. Weiner, MD
Organizational Affiliation
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA
Official's Role
Principal Investigator
Facility Information:
Facility Name
VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System University Drive Division, Pittsburgh, PA
City
Pittsburgh
State/Province
Pennsylvania
ZIP/Postal Code
15240
Country
United States
Facility Name
Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, Richmond, VA
City
Richmond
State/Province
Virginia
ZIP/Postal Code
23249
Country
United States

12. IPD Sharing Statement

Plan to Share IPD
No

Learn more about this trial

Making Better Lives: Patient-Focused Care for Low Back Pain (LBP)

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