Improving Access to Chiropractic Care in Community Health Centers

Summary

The goal of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of new implementation strategies designed to increase the number of Primary Care Providers (PCPs) referrals to chiropractic care for lower back pain (LBP) in underserved populations. The investigators plan to pilot the strategies in three qualified community health centers (CHCs) and compare the number of LBP patients who receive referrals before and after implementation. The implementation strategies involve PCP, patient, and organizational interventions.

Patients presenting with LBP will be provided educational materials that focus on the safety and effectiveness of chiropractic care as an evidence-based treatment for LBP. Materials will be available in CHC common areas and may be sent to patients by their PCP via patient portal.

PCPs will participate in interactive lunch seminars to allow for inter-professional learning for PCPs. They will also participate in a survey regarding their attitudes and beliefs relating to chiropractic care. Currently, many PCPs cannot make chiropractic care referrals in the electronic health record (EHR). The investigators plan to add this option, or make it easier if the referral is already available.

This multi-level, multi-component approach will last two months, and will be rolled out sequentially in three clinics using a stepped-wedge design. The ordering of clinics will be random.

The primary outcome is the proportion of patients with LBP who received a referral to chiropractic care before and after the intervention. Secondary outcomes include referral to any non-pharmacologic treatment, use of imaging, and prescribed medications.

Conditions

• Lower Back Pain

Interventions

OTHER

Institutional interventions

Intervention will include, but not be limited to, the following: adding a referral option to chiropractic care in the electronic health record (EHR), optimizing referral option, e.g., creating a list of preferred providers. Additional strategies may be added depending on community health center staff engagement prior to implementation.

OTHER

PCPs interventions

Two one-hour interactive grand rounds/lunch seminars that allow for inter-professional learning for PCPs with optional continuing education credits for PCPs. Short teaching cases involving clinical vignettes developed with local doctors of chiropractic (DCs), information about DCs (e.g., evidence-base for treatments), and logistics of the referral process (e.g., geographic location of community-based DCs who accept Medicaid) sent to participating providers unable to attend the seminars. Additional strategies may be added depending on primary care provider engagement prior to implementation.

OTHER

Patient interventions

Printed and electronic educational materials (e.g., brochures) written at a sixth grade reading level in English and Spanish that present chiropractic as a safe and effective evidence-based treatment for LBP. These materials will be written, reviewed, and revised by the researchers with CHC patient input. Additional strategies may be added depending on patient engagement prior to implementation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

  collaborator NIH

• Boston Medical Center

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Eric J Roseen, DC · Boston Medical Center

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2023-11-01

Primary Completion

2026-06-30

Completion

2026-06-30

Countries

• United States

Study Locations