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Research Studies is a monthly compilation of research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers and recently published in journals or newsletters.
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1 to 16 of 16 Research Studies DisplayedFritz JM, Lane E, McFadden M
Physical therapy referral from primary care for acute back pain with sciatica : a randomized controlled trial.
This study examined whether early physical therapy (EPT) use in sciatica patients of less than 90 days duration reduces disability compared to usual care (UC) alone. A cohort of 220 adult sciatica patients ages 18 to 60 at two healthcare systems in Salt Lake City, Utah were randomly assigned to the control or EPT. Half (110) were given EPT, 1 education session, and then referred to 4 weeks of physical therapy including exercise and manual therapy. The other 110 were provided usual care. Outcomes were measured using the Oswestry Disability Index (OSW) after 6 months. Secondary outcomes were pain intensity, patient-reported treatment success, health care use or missed workdays. The EPT group were more likely to self-report less back pain after 5 weeks as well as treatment success after 1 year than the UC care group. There were no significant differences in health care use or missed workdays with the 2 groups.
AHRQ-funded; HS022641.
Citation: Fritz JM, Lane E, McFadden M .
Physical therapy referral from primary care for acute back pain with sciatica : a randomized controlled trial.
Ann Intern Med 2021 Jan;174(1):8-17. doi: 10.7326/m20-4187..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Neurological Disorders, Pain, Rehabilitation, Primary Care, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Comparative Effectiveness, Evidence-Based Practice
Nayfe R, Chansard M, Hynan LS
Comparison of patient-reported outcomes measurement information system and legacy instruments in multiple domains among older veterans with chronic back pain.
This study evaluated construct (convergent and discriminant) validity and time to complete NIH's Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) as compared to legacy instruments. Results showed that, given time efficiency of using PROMIS, along with strong construct validity, PROMIS instruments are a practical choice for measuring multidimensional patient-reported outcomes in older Veterans with chronic low back pain for both research and clinical purposes.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Nayfe R, Chansard M, Hynan LS .
Comparison of patient-reported outcomes measurement information system and legacy instruments in multiple domains among older veterans with chronic back pain.
BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2020 Sep 8;21(1):598. doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03587-6..
Keywords: Elderly, Veterans, Back Health and Pain, Pain, Chronic Conditions, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Research Methodologies
Kim HS, Kaplan SH, McCarthy DM
A comparison of analgesic prescribing among ED back and neck pain visits receiving physical therapy versus usual care.
Researchers used a retrospective cohort study to examine whether physical therapy (PT) is associated with lower analgesic prescribing in the emergency department (ED) setting. They found that, in this single center study, ED back and neck pain visits receiving PT were no less likely to receive an opioid prescription and were more likely to receive a benzodiazepine than visits receiving usual care. They conclude that, although prior studies demonstrated that PT may reduce opioid utilization in the subsequent year, these results indicated that analgesic prescribing is not reduced at the initial ED encounter.
AHRQ-funded; HS023011.
Citation: Kim HS, Kaplan SH, McCarthy DM .
A comparison of analgesic prescribing among ED back and neck pain visits receiving physical therapy versus usual care.
Am J Emerg Med 2019 Jul;37(7):1322-26. doi: 10.1016/j.ajem.2018.10.009..
Keywords: Opioids, Medication, Practice Patterns, Emergency Department, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Pain, Back Health and Pain, Outcomes, Evidence-Based Practice
Jarvik JG, Gold LS, Tan K
Long-term outcomes of a large, prospective observational cohort of older adults with back pain.
The study’s primary goals were to report 2-year outcomes of older adults initiating primary care for back pain and to examine the relative importance of patient factors vs. medical interventions in predicting 2-year disability and pain. The investigators found that baseline patient factors were more important than early interventions in explaining disability and pain after 2 years.
AHRQ-funded; HS019222; HS022972.
Citation: Jarvik JG, Gold LS, Tan K .
Long-term outcomes of a large, prospective observational cohort of older adults with back pain.
Spine J 2018 Jan 29;18(9):1540-51. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2018.01.018..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Elderly, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Gold LS, Hansen RN, Avins AL
Associations of early opioid use with patient-reported outcomes and health care utilization among older adults with low back pain.
The objective of this study was to compare outcomes and health care utilization of older patients who did versus did not fill opioid prescriptions within 90 days of initiating care for low back pain. Among older patients with new back pain visits, filling 2 or more opioid prescriptions within 90 days of the visit was associated with similar back pain-related outcomes but increased likelihood of filling opioid prescriptions 18 to 24 months later compared with matched patients who did not fill early opioid prescriptions.
AHRQ-funded; HS019222; HS022972.
Citation: Gold LS, Hansen RN, Avins AL .
Associations of early opioid use with patient-reported outcomes and health care utilization among older adults with low back pain.
Clin J Pain 2018 Apr;34(4):297-305. doi: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000000557.
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Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Elderly, Healthcare Utilization, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Opioids
Skolasky RL, Maggard AM, Wegener ST
Telephone-based intervention to improve rehabilitation engagement after spinal stenosis surgery: a prospective lagged controlled trial.
A prospective interventional trial was conducted, to compare the effectiveness of health behavior change counseling with usual care to improve health outcomes after lumbar spine surgical procedures. The investigators found that health behavior change counseling improved health outcomes during the first 12 months after the surgical procedure through changes in rehabilitation engagement.
AHRQ-funded; HS017990.
Citation: Skolasky RL, Maggard AM, Wegener ST .
Telephone-based intervention to improve rehabilitation engagement after spinal stenosis surgery: a prospective lagged controlled trial.
J Bone Joint Surg Am 2018 Jan 3;100(1):21-30. doi: 10.2106/jbjs.17.00418..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Comparative Effectiveness, Evidence-Based Practice, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Rehabilitation, Surgery
Makris UE, Alvarez CA, Wei W
Association of statin use with risk of back disorder diagnoses.
Statins may increase vulnerability to myalgias and contribute to the myopathic component often experienced with back pain. This study’s goal was to examine the association of statin use with the risk of back disorder diagnoses. Researchers retrieved health care data for patients enrolled in TRICARE in the San Antonio military area. The overall cohort included 60,455 patients. Two treatment groups were identified: Statin users who recently received a first-time prescription for a statin and had been taking it for 120 days or more; statin non-users who never used statins and current users before they were prescribed statins. The study concludes that statin use is associated with increased likelihood of back disorder diagnoses.
AHRQ-funded; HS022418.
Citation: Makris UE, Alvarez CA, Wei W .
Association of statin use with risk of back disorder diagnoses.
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Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Medication, Pain, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Risk
Makris UE, Edwards TC, Lavallee DC
Patient priority weighting of the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire does not change results of the lumbar epidural steroid injections for spinal stenosis trial.
The researchers reevaluated whether outcomes for older adults receiving epidural steroid injections with or without corticosteroid improve after using patient-prioritized Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RDQ) items. Their findings provide additional evidence that epidural injection of corticosteroid + lidocaine offered minimal or no short-term benefit as compared with epidural injection of lidocaine alone for older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis.
AHRQ-funded; HS019222; HS022418.
Citation: Makris UE, Edwards TC, Lavallee DC .
Patient priority weighting of the Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire does not change results of the lumbar epidural steroid injections for spinal stenosis trial.
Spine 2017 Jan;42(1):42-48. doi: 10.1097/brs.0000000000001647.
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Keywords: Comparative Effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Elderly, Back Health and Pain, Medication
Chimenti PC, Drinkwater CJ, Li W
Factors associated with early improvement in low back pain after total hip arthroplasty: A multi-center prospective cohort analyses.
This study identified factors associated with an improvement in low back pain (LBP) at six-month follow-up after total hip arthroplasty (THA). It found that among patients reporting severe or moderate LBP preoperatively, 56 percent improved 6 months after surgery. Patients without improvement were more likely to be on Medicare, have a high school education or less, have household income less than $45,000 and have one or more comorbid conditions.
AHRQ-funded; HS018910.
Citation: Chimenti PC, Drinkwater CJ, Li W .
Factors associated with early improvement in low back pain after total hip arthroplasty: A multi-center prospective cohort analyses.
J Arthroplasty 2016 Jan;31(1):176-9. doi: 10.1016/j.arth.2015.07.028.
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Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Arthritis, Surgery, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Registries
Turner JA, Comstock BA, Standaert CJ
Can patient characteristics predict benefit from epidural corticosteroid injections for lumbar spinal stenosis symptoms?
The study’s aim was to identify patient characteristics associated with benefits from epidural injections of corticosteroid with lidocaine versus epidural injections of lidocaine only for lumbar spinal stenosis symptoms. It found that among 21 baseline patient characteristics examined, none, including clinician rated spinal stenosis severity, were consistent predictors of benefit from epidural injections of lidocain corticosteroid versus lidocaine only.
AHRQ-funded; HS019222; HS022972.
Citation: Turner JA, Comstock BA, Standaert CJ .
Can patient characteristics predict benefit from epidural corticosteroid injections for lumbar spinal stenosis symptoms?
Spine J 2015 Nov;15(11):2319-31. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2015.06.050..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Decision Making, Medication, Back Health and Pain, Chronic Conditions
Jarvik JG, Comstock BA, James KT
Lumbar Imaging with Reporting of Epidemiology (LIRE)--protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized trial.
The researchers will conduct a pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial to test the hypothesis that inserting data on the prevalence of incidental imaging findings into lumbar spine imaging reports for studies ordered by primary care providers will reduce subsequent spine-related interventions. Their primary outcome will be spine-related intervention intensity based on Relative Value Units (RVUs) during the following year.
AHRQ-funded; HS022982.
Citation: Jarvik JG, Comstock BA, James KT .
Lumbar Imaging with Reporting of Epidemiology (LIRE)--protocol for a pragmatic cluster randomized trial.
Contemp Clin Trials 2015 Nov;45(Pt B):157-63. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2015.10.003.
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Keywords: Imaging, Back Health and Pain, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Fritz JM, Magel JS, McFadden M
Early physical therapy vs usual care in patients with recent-onset low back pain: a randomized clinical trial.
This study evaluated whether early physical therapy (manipulation and exercise) is more effective than usual care in improving disability for patients with LBP fitting a decision rule. It concluded that among adults with recent-onset LBP, early physical therapy resulted in statistically significant improvement in disability, but the improvement was modest and did not achieve the minimum clinically important difference compared with usual care.
AHRQ-funded; HS018672.
Citation: Fritz JM, Magel JS, McFadden M .
Early physical therapy vs usual care in patients with recent-onset low back pain: a randomized clinical trial.
JAMA 2015 Oct 13;314(14):1459-67. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.11648..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Comparative Effectiveness, Outcomes, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Suri P, Pashova H, Heagerty PJ
Short-term improvements in disability mediate patient satisfaction after epidural corticosteroid injections for symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis.
The researchers sought to identify mediators of the effect of lumbar epidural injections of corticosteroid plus lidocaine on patient satisfaction at 6 weeks postinjection in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. Three-week change in disability was a significant mediator of the effects of lumbar epidural corticosteroid injections on patient satisfaction at 6 weeks, explaining 48 percent to 60 percent of the treatment effect on satisfaction.
AHRQ-funded; HS019222; HS022972.
Citation: Suri P, Pashova H, Heagerty PJ .
Short-term improvements in disability mediate patient satisfaction after epidural corticosteroid injections for symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis.
Spine 2015 Sep 01;40(17):1363-70. doi: 10.1097/brs.0000000000001000.
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Keywords: Medication, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Back Health and Pain, Patient Experience
Rundell SD, Gellhorn AC, Comstock BA
Clinical outcomes of early and later physical therapist services for older adults with back pain.
The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcomes of patients receiving early or later PT services with those not receiving PT among older adults presenting to primary care for a new visit for back pain. It found that among older adults early referral to PT resulted in no or minimal differences in pain, function, or health-related quality at 3, 6, or 12 months compared with a matched group that did not receive early PT.
AHRQ-funded; HS019222.
Citation: Rundell SD, Gellhorn AC, Comstock BA .
Clinical outcomes of early and later physical therapist services for older adults with back pain.
Spine J 2015 Aug;15(8):1744-55. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2015.04.001..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Elderly, Primary Care, Comparative Effectiveness, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Edwards TC, Lavallee DC, Bauer Z
Problem areas identified as important to older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis.
The purpose of this study was to determine what outcomes are most important to older adults with spinal stenosis and how well frequently used patient-reported outcomes reflect what is most important to them. It found that older adults with spinal stenosis rated problems related to pain and physical function as the most important outcomes to them.
AHRQ-funded; HS022972.
Citation: Edwards TC, Lavallee DC, Bauer Z .
Problem areas identified as important to older adults with lumbar spinal stenosis.
Spine J 2015 Jul;15(7):1636-44. doi: 10.1016/j.spinee.2015.03.008..
Keywords: Elderly, Back Health and Pain, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Rundell SD, Sherman KJ, Heagerty PJ
Patient-reported outcomes associated with use of physical therapist services by older adults with a new visit for back pain.
The researchers conducted an observational comparative effectiveness research study to investigate the association between types or amounts of physical therapist services and outcomes, such as disability and pain intensity, among older adults. Higher amounts of active physical therapy were associated with decreased back and leg pain and increased odds of clinically meaningful improvements in back and leg pain relative to results obtained with no active physical therapy.
AHRQ-funded; HS019222.
Citation: Rundell SD, Sherman KJ, Heagerty PJ .
Patient-reported outcomes associated with use of physical therapist services by older adults with a new visit for back pain.
Phys Ther 2015 Feb;95(2):190-201. doi: 10.2522/ptj.20140132..
Keywords: Back Health and Pain, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Comparative Effectiveness, Treatments, Elderly
