Year: 2014
Type: article
Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Despite rapidly increasing intervention, functional disability due to chronic low back pain (cLBP) has increased in recent decades. We often cannot identify mechanisms to explain the major negative impact cLBP has on patients' lives. Such cLBP is often termed non-specific, and may be due to multiple biologic and behavioral etiologies. Researchers use varied inclusion criteria, definitions, baseline assessments, and outcome measures, which impede comparisons and consensus. DESIGN: Expert panel and preliminary evaluation of key recommendations. METHODS: The NIH Pain Consortium charged a Research Task Force (RTF) to draft standards for research on cLBP. The resulting multidisciplinary panel developed a 3-stage process, each with a 2-day meeting. RESULTS: The panel recommended using 2 questions to define cLBP; classifying cLBP by its impact (defined by pain intensity, pain interference, and physical function); use of a minimal data set to describe research subjects (drawing heavily on the PROMIS methodology); reporting "responder analyses" in addition to mean outcome scores; and suggestions for future research and dissemination. The Pain Consortium has approved the recommendations, which investigators should incorporate into NIH grant proposals. CONCLUSION: The RTF believes these recommendations will advance the field, help to resolve controversies, and facilitate future research addressing the genomic, neurologic, and other mechanistic substrates of chronic low back pain. Greater consistency in reporting should facilitate comparisons among studies and the development of phenotypes. We expect the RTF recommendations will become a dynamic document, and undergo continual improvement. PERSPECTIVE: A task force was convened by the NIH Pain Consortium with the goal of developing research standards for chronic low back pain. The results included recommendations for definitions, a minimum dataset, reporting outcomes, and future research. Greater consistency in reporting should facilitate comparisons among studies and the development of phenotypes.
Source: Pain Medicine
DOI: 10.1111/pme.12538
Authors: Richard A. Deyo, Samuel F. Dworkin, Dagmar Amtmann, Gunnar Andersson, David Borenstein, Eugene Carragee, John Carrino, Roger Chou, Karon Cook, Anthony DeLitto, Christine Goertz, Partap Khalsa, John Loeser, Sean Mackey, James Panagis, James Rainville, Tor Tosteson, Dennis Turk, Michael Von Korff, Debra K. Weiner
Institutions: Oregon Health & Science University, University of Washington, Rush University Medical Center, George Washington University, Stanford University, Johns Hopkins University, Northwestern University, University of Pittsburgh, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Palmer College of Chiropractic, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, New England Baptist Hospital, Dartmouth College, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute
Language: English
Subfield: Pharmacology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Award: G3853912554
OpenAlex ID: W2147327261