Comparing Non-Medicine Strategies for Improving Low Back Pain

Comparing Strategies to Improve Non-Pharmacologic Pain Relief for Adults With Back Pain (The ENCompaSS Trial)

The goal of this clinical trial is to help veterans manage high-impact chronic pain (HICP) in the lower back. The trial will use a program, ENCompaSS (Education, Navigated Care, and Supported Self-Management) designed to reduce pain more than usual care alone. Researchers will assess a) the impact of ENCompaSS, b) identify which veterans benefit the most, and c) how this program can be delivered more broadly in other clinics and health systems.

What Will Happen:

Veterans in this clinical trial will be randomly placed into one of two groups.

ENCompaSS group (intervention):

• Have at least three phone calls with a trained clinician over about 12 weeks
• Watch short online videos about managing pain
• Complete surveys before the study and again at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months

Usual Stepped Care group:

• Will continue with regular care
• Complete the same surveys at the same time points

ENCompaSS (Education, Navigated Care, and Supported Self-Management), is a type 1 hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial conducted within three Veterans Heath Administration (VHA) systems. The intervention is a patient-centered, navigator-assisted program designed to inform and guide Veterans on non-pharmacologic treatment options.

The total study duration, including enrollment and follow-up, is approximately 30 months. A total of 530 veterans with high-impact chronic pain (HICP) due to low back pain (LBP) will be enrolled and randomized in a 1:1 ratio to receive either the ENCompaSS intervention or usual stepped care within the VA health system. In keeping with the pragmatic design, participating VHA sites will receive standardized training and implementation support but will deliver the intervention using their existing clinical staff and resources.

Patient-reported outcomes will be collected via telephone-administered Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) surveys at baseline and at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months post-randomization. The primary outcome will be assessed at 6 months, with additional follow-up to evaluate longer-term effects 12 months post randomization.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Be age 18 years old or older
• Have a VA outpatient clinic visit for low back pain within the previous 30 days
• Be enrolled in a participating primary care clinic
• Have high impact chronic pain per Graded Chronic Pain Scale (most days or every day on first 2 items)
• Valid telephone access
• Ability to provide informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

• Are currently hospitalized or residing in a nursing home
• Have cognitive impairment or lack of decision-making capacity
• Have a serious mental illness (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, recent psychiatric hospitalization, high risk suicide flag)
• Are unable to communicate by telephone or have no telephone access