Acupuncture and Chiropractic Care for Chronic Pain in an Integrated Health Plan

Substantial recent research examines the efficacy and biological basis of many types of
complementary and alternative (CAM) therapies. However, "real-world" use of CAM has been
largely overlooked, despite calls for CAM therapies to be studied in the manner in which
they are practiced and urging high prioritization for research that includes clinical
outcomes, cost-effectiveness, and the decision-making process for patients and providers.
There is, therefore, heightened need for enriched understanding—particularly given CAM's
growing popularity, which fortunately offers stores of new data for research. Recent studies
suggests that Americans seek CAM treatments far more often for chronic musculoskeletal pain
(CMP) than for any other condition. Among CAM treatments for CMP, acupuncture and
chiropractic (A/C) care are among those with the highest acceptance by physician groups and
the best evidence to support their use. Further, recent alarming increases in delivery of
opioid treatment and surgical interventions for chronic pain—despite their high costs,
potential adverse effects, and modest efficacy—suggests the need to evaluate the outcomes
associated with promising non-pharmacological/non-surgical CAM treatments for CMP, which are
often well accepted by patients and increasingly used in the community.

This study responds to the NCCAM program announcement PAR-08-045, "Outcomes,
Cost-Effectiveness and the Decision Making Process to Use CAM."

Because this project consists of four discrete sets of project activities (that largely
follow one another chronologically), the investigators plan to submit separate IRQs to cover
each set of project activities as follows:

(Phase1) Retrospective study using information from the EMR to identify unique clusters of
patients with CMP, their trajectories of care within the health plan, and to examine how
those in unique clusters may have differing propensities for the use of A/C services and/or
differential outcomes associated with such care. The IRQ for this study has been submitted
(Phase 2) The administration of an out-of-plan CAM survey to determine from a broad sample
of KP members their use of such services.

(Phase 3) The collection of qualitative data (focus groups and individual interviews) from
KP members, KP providers, and acupuncturists and chiropractors from the community to examine
KP providers decision to recommend A/C services, A/C services delivered to KP patients, and
patients' decisions to pursue and retain CAM care. A secondary purpose is to have KP members
with CMP review planned assessment instruments for phase 4 of the study to provide feedback
on: relevancy, any notable omissions of domains important in patients' decision to use CAM
services for pain treatment and broader health and quality of life outcomes associated with
such CAM treatments, as well as to review understandability of the assessment instruments.

(Phase 4) A prospective cohort study to evaluate health services/costs and broader clinical
and functional outcomes associated with the receipt of A/C relative to carefully matched
comparison participants receiving traditional CMP services.

Inclusion Criteria:

- KPNW health plan members

- 18 or older

- Evidence of CMP

Exclusion Criteria:

- Malignant cancer diagnosis

- Hospice or other end-of-life palliative care