STEPPT: Connecting primary care patients with physical therapy

Is this trial a fit for you?

A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.

What this trial studies

STEPPT is a clinic-level intervention that trains primary care providers and staff to promote physical therapy and delivers culturally tailored handouts and videos to patients. The trial uses a pragmatic stepped-wedge cluster randomized design across nine Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) clinics, with clinics transitioning from usual care to STEPPT in three steps at six-month intervals. Primary outcomes are rates of physical therapy referral and patient adherence after referral, and secondary analyses will examine implementation measures of fidelity and reach. The intervention targets improvement in access and engagement for underserved Hispanic patients with spine pain in a real-world primary care setting.

Why it matters

Who can join: the full rules

Inclusion Criteria

* 18 years or older.
* Identify as either Hispanic or Non-Hispanic ethnicity, inclusive of all races.
* Seeking care for spine pain at an Adult or Adult Walk-in primary care clinic within the participating Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC).
* New or existing spine pain problem: A new spine pain problem is defined by a new ICD code for neck or back pain added to the problem list during a visit with a primary care physician. An existing spine pain problem is defined by an existing ICD code for neck or back pain on the problem list that is associated with a physician referral for any service during the visit related to the neck or back pain problem.
* Signed a broad consent for the use of de-identified health information for research at the participating FQHC.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Spine pain associated with a non-musculoskeletal etiology (e.g., infection, cancer, urological disorders, pregnancy, etc.)
* Patients requiring urgent medical intervention (e.g., fracture, cauda equina syndrome, etc)
* Active physical therapy referral for spine pain at the time of the index encounter.
* Previously referred to physical therapy through the STEPPT Care Pathway.
* Physical therapy referrals external to the FQHC will be excluded from the analysis of physical therapy adherence

Where it's running

• Family Health Centers of San Diego
  San Diego, California, United States Recruiting

Study contacts

• Principal investigator: Katrina Monroe, PT, PhD — San Diego State University
• Study coordinator: Cheenee R Real, BSN, MPH, MSOL
• Email: creal2@sdsu.edu
• Phone: 323-508-6312

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How to take part

1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
2. Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
3. Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.