In a new article, investigators from 2 pragmatic clinical trials of telehealth-delivered physical therapy share insights into the challenges they faced in implementing the study interventions, especially in historically underserved communities.
The article was published last month in Frontiers in Pain Research.
Telehealth delivery of nonpharmacologic pain management has expanded opportunities to overcome access barriers. However, telehealth delivery of physical therapy presents challenges related to technology, intervention adaptations, and cultural competence.
Both BeatPain Utah, an NIH Collaboratory Trial, and AIM-Back, a trial supported through the NIH-DOD-VA Pain Management Collaboratory, are pragmatic trials testing physical therapist–led telehealth interventions for persons with chronic low back pain who are from communities that experience healthcare disparities. In the new article, the investigators describe the challenges they encountered when implementing telehealth physical therapy programs in these communities. They also discuss strategies for overcoming barriers to improve access to telehealth physical therapy and reduce pain management disparities.
BeatPain Utah is supported within the NIH Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory by a cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Nursing Research. Learn more about the NIH Collaboratory Trials.