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Low Back PainTeleOPTNCT05103462

Telehealth Physical Therapy for Chronic Back Pain - Ancillary Study to NCT03859713

A study testing Telehealth Physical Therapy in people with Low Back Pain, run by University of Utah at 2 sites in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study evaluated the feasibility of an 8-week physical therapy program for persons with chronic low back pain provided entirely using telehealth with real-time, interactive video sessions with a physical therapist. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 to 64 years
Conditions the study is for
Low Back Pain
What is being tested?
Telehealth Physical Therapy
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
126 participants
Where
2 sitesUnited States
Study dates
18 Aug 2020to 13 Aug 2021
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 to 64 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age 18 - 64 years at the time of enrollment.
  • Meets NIH Task Force definition of chronic LBP based on two questions: 1) How long has LBP has been an ongoing problem for you? and 2) How often has LBP been an ongoing problem for you over the past 6 months? A response of greater than 3 months to question 1, and "at least half the days in the past 6 months" to question 2 is required to satisfy the NIH definition of chronic LBP.
  • Healthcare visit for LBP in the past 90 days.
  • At least moderate levels of pain and disability requiring ODI score >24 and pain intensity rating > 4.

Who cannot join

  • Evidence of serious pathology as a cause of LBP including neoplasm, inflammatory disease (e.g., ankylosing spondylitis), vertebral osteomyelitis, etc.
  • Evidence of a specific spinal pathology as the cause of LBP including spine fracture, spinal stenosis, radiculopathy, etc.
  • Knowingly pregnant
  • Unable to participate in telehealth due to lack of technology or internet access
  • Has received physical therapy for LBP in prior 90 days
  • Currently receiving substance use disorder treatment
  • Any lumbar spine surgery in the past year.

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

United States2 sites
  • Johns Hopkins University

    Baltimore, Maryland, 21287

  • Intermountain Health Care

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84107

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: Observational Study of Telehealth Physical Therapy Provided for Persons With Chronic Low Back Pain

This study evaluated the feasibility of an 8-week physical therapy program for persons with chronic low back pain provided entirely using telehealth with real-time, interactive video sessions with a physical therapist.

Read the detailed description

At the time of the onset of the COVID pandemic, the research team was conducting a clinical trial (the OPTIMIZE trial) investigating different nonpharmacologic treatments for persons with chronic low back pain (NCT03859713). One intervention arm in this trial is in-person physical therapy. COVID-related restrictions on in-person care prompted suspension of the OPTIMIZE trial. In order to accommodate persons in the midst of receiving treatment at the time of suspension, the study team adapted the in-person protocol for physical therapy for telehealth delivery using two-way, real-time video sessions. Because of the lack of research examining the feasibility of telehealth physical therapy provided in this manner, the study team decided to conduct a pilot study to examine the feasibility of the telehealth protocol.

This study was a prospective, longitudinal cohort of persons with chronic LBP seeking care in one of three healthcare systems; University of Utah Health and Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. All participants were offered up to 8 weekly sessions of telehealth physical therapy. Outcomes included measures of acceptability, appropriateness, feasibility and fidelity as well as effectiveness measures including the Oswestry Disability Index and the PROMIS-29 health domains. Assessments occurred at baseline and after 10- and 26-weeks.

Conditions
Low Back Pain
Being tested
Telehealth Physical Therapy
Keywords
Telehealth, Physical therapy, Chronic pain
Medical subject headings
Low Back Pain, Chronic Pain

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Telehealth Physical TherapyBehavioural

    Weekly sessions of physical therapy provided using two-way, interactive, video technology consisting of education, advice and exercise instruction.

Study groups in NCT05103462
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Telehealth Physical TherapyExperimentalWeekly sessions of education, advice and exercise instruction provided by a licensed physical therapist using real-time, interactive video conferencing platform.
Receives: Behavioral: Telehealth Physical Therapy

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Participant Satisfaction with Telehealth Treatment

    Survey of participants evaluating treatment satisfaction

    Measured: 10-weeks

  2. Rate of refusal to participate

    Ratio of persons entering the study among all those eligibility for enrollment

    Measured: Baseline

  3. Rate of enrolled participants initiating telehealth treatment

    Ratio of persons attending at least 1 treatment session among all those enrolled

    Measured: 10-weeks

  4. Number of sessions

    Number of telehealth physical therapy sessions attended

    Measured: 10-weeks

  5. Change in Oswestry from baseline to 10-weeks

    10 item measure of back pain-related disability

    Measured: baseline, 10 weeks

  6. Change in Oswestry from baseline to 26-weeks

    10 item measure of back pain-related disability

    Measured: baseline, 26 weeks

  7. Change in Pain Interference from baseline to 10 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 10 weeks

  8. Change in Pain Interference from baseline to 26 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 26 weeks

  9. Change in Pain Intensity from baseline to 10 weeks

    PROMIS single item (part of PROMIS-29) assessing pain intensity on 0-10 rating scale

    Measured: baseline, 10 weeks

  10. Change in Pain Intensity from baseline to 26 weeks

    PROMIS single item (part of PROMIS-29) assessing pain intensity on 0-10 rating scale

    Measured: baseline, 26 weeks

  11. Change in Fatigue from baseline to 10 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 10 weeks

  12. Change in Fatigue from baseline to 26 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 26 weeks

  13. Change in Sleep Disturbance from baseline to 10 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 10 weeks

  14. Change in Sleep Disturbance from baseline to 26 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 26 weeks

  15. Change in Anxiety from baseline to 10 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 10 weeks

  16. Change in Anxiety from baseline to 26 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 26 weeks

  17. Change in Depression from baseline to 10 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 10 weeks

  18. Change in Depression from baseline to 26 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 26 weeks

  19. Change in Social Role Participation from baseline to 10 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 10 weeks

  20. Change in Social Role Participation from baseline to 26 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 26 weeks

  21. Change in Physical Function from baseline to 10 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 10 weeks

  22. Change in Physical Function from baseline to 26 weeks

    PROMIS 4-item short form (part of PROMIS-29) assessed as a T-score with mean = 50 and SD = 10

    Measured: baseline, 26 weeks

  23. Change in Pain Self-Efficacy Scale from baseline to 10 weeks

    10-item measure of confidence in performing activities even with pain

    Measured: baseline, 10 weeks

  24. Change in Pain Self-Efficacy Scale from baseline to 26 weeks

    10-item measure of confidence in performing activities even with pain

    Measured: baseline, 26 weeks

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted2 Nov 2021
  2. Study start18 Aug 2020
  3. Primary completion18 Dec 2020
  4. Study completion13 Aug 2021

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
Prospective, longitudinal cohort design
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
126 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05103462
Sponsor's protocol ID
IRB_00116150
Acronym
TeleOPT
Status last verified
Oct 2021
First submitted
11 Oct 2021
Last updated
2 Nov 2021
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Undecided

Publications

  • Skolasky RL, Wegener ST, Aaron RV, Ephraim P, Brennan G, Greene T, Lane E, Minick K, Hanley AW, Garland EL, Fritz JM. The OPTIMIZE study: protocol of a pragmatic sequential multiple assessment randomized trial of nonpharmacologic treatment for chronic, nonspecific low back pain. BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2020 May 11;21(1):293. doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03324-z.

    PubMed 32393216
  • McLaughlin KH, Fritz JM, Minick KI, Brennan GP, McGee T, Lane E, Thackeray A, Bardsley T, Wegener ST, Hunter SJ, Skolasky RL. Examining the Relationship Between Individual Patient Factors and Substantial Clinical Benefit From Telerehabilitation Among Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain. Phys Ther. 2024 Mar 1;104(3):pzad180. doi: 10.1093/ptj/pzad180.

    PubMed 38157307
  • Fritz JM, Minick KI, Brennan GP, McGee T, Lane E, Skolasky RL, Thackeray A, Bardsley T, Wegener ST, Hunter SJ. Outcomes of Telehealth Physical Therapy Provided Using Real-Time, Videoconferencing for Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Longitudinal Observational Study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2022 Oct;103(10):1924-1934. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2022.04.016. Epub 2022 Jun 3.

    PubMed 35667399

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Telehealth Physical Therapy in people with Low Back Pain, run by University of Utah at 2 sites in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 2 Nov 2021. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Participant Satisfaction with Telehealth Treatment (time frame: 10-weeks). The study lists 24 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05103462, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 2 Nov 2021; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 7 Nov 2026.

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