Improving access to physical therapy for Hispanic patients with back and spine pain
Official title: Salud de tu Espalda Primary Care to Physical Therapy (STEPPT): Mitigating ethnic disparities in access and engagement in spine pain rehabilitation
Funded at San Diego State University · NIH-11261607 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program will try a culturally tailored approach to help Hispanic adults with spine pain get referred to and stick with physical therapy.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | San Diego State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Diego, United States) |
| Project start | July 13, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $546,375 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD018937-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11261607 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Hispanic adults with spine or back pain who receive care at the participating Federally Qualified Health Centers near the US–Mexico border would be the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without spine pain, patients who do not receive care at the participating clinics, or those requiring immediate surgical care are unlikely to benefit directly from this program.
What this research studies
You would be part of efforts to adapt culturally relevant materials and clinic practices so doctors and staff better refer Hispanic patients to physical therapy. Researchers will work with clinics and patients to create a step-by-step program that fits local needs and is written down for staff to follow. The program will then be rolled out across participating community health centers in a staggered way so every clinic eventually uses it while outcomes are tracked. The project will measure whether more Hispanic patients are referred to physical therapy and whether they attend and complete recommended sessions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could increase referrals to physical therapy and improve attendance and completion of non-drug rehabilitation for Hispanic patients with spine pain.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows culturally tailored interventions and clinic-level changes can improve care engagement, but combining multilevel adaptation with a cluster stepped-wedge trial in this specific population is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
San Diego State University
San Diego, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Monroe, Katrina S. — San Diego State University
- Study coordinator: Monroe, Katrina S.
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.