Functional and Occupational Rehabilitation of Troops

The proposed implementation science project will evaluate the factors that support or hinder the successful implementation of the FORT Functional Restoration Program at six Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) across the Military Health System. It will also evaluate the associated effectiveness outcomes related to chronic musculoskeletal pain management in active-duty military personnel.

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Key information

Conditions

Chronic Musculoskeletal Pain

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

About this study

This project will be an effectiveness-implementation hybrid type 2 study design using a stepped-wedge randomized clinical trial research design. The study will simultaneously evaluate clinical and implementation outcomes related to the establishment of functional restoration programs. The study investigators have collaborated with the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Pain Management Clinical Support Services to identify chronic pain management programs at six MTFs interested in systematically improving and assessing the outcomes of their program. The MTFs will be randomized in pairs to initiate the Implementation Facilitation strategy to improve the implementation of their program over three 6-month intervals, after an initial 6-month baseline. This hybrid design will allow for the evaluation of both implementation and clinical effectiveness research aims and support rapid translation of research outcomes. Each site will participate in a minimum 6-month baseline period prior to the intervention period to serve as its own treatment as usual.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

"patient referred to functional restoration program by provider"

Exclusion criteria

"patient not referred to functional restoration program by provider"

Treatment and study plan

Primary outcomes

Pain Impact Score (PIS)

Time frame: Baseline to 13 months

The Pain Impact Score (PIS) is based on the Defense and Veterans Pain Rating Scale (DVPRS), which measures 7-day average pain intensity (0-10 scale) and adaptive PROMIS pain interference and physical function using numeric, color, facial, and word descriptors and is validated. PROMIS T-scores are converted to compute the PIS, ranging from 8-50 with a higher score indicating greater pain.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Alan L Peterson, PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

210.562.6700

Katherine A Comtois, PhD, MPH

CONTACT

[email protected]

206-744-1752

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Other

Collaborators

United States Department of Defense
University of Washington

Registry information

Official study title

An Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of Functional Restoration for Chronic Pain Management in Active Duty Military Personnel

Acronym: FORT

Important dates

Study start: 2026
Primary completion: 2028
Study completion: 2028
First posted: Mar 27, 2025
Registry last updated: Jan 20, 2026

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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