Testing the Feasibility of Intervening to Optimize Chiropractic Care for Adults With Neck Pain Disorders

The aim of this pilot study project is to determine the feasibility of implementing a multifaceted KT intervention to promote the use of multimodal care by chiropractors managing patients with NSNP.

Design: Cluster randomized controlled pilot and feasibility trial. Chiropractors in private practice in Canada will be randomized to receive either a theory-based tailored KT intervention in the experimental group or simply a printed copy of the guideline in the control group.

Study population and sample size: 30 chiropractors will be recruited from a random, nationally representative sample of 200 chiropractors. Each chiropractor will recruit five neck pain patients for a total of 150 patients.

The design of the KT intervention was informed by the results of a related qualitative study (Theoretical Domains Framework interviews) and consists of a series of three webinars, two online case scenarios, a self-management video on Brief Action Planning (BAP) and a printed copy of the practice guideline (Bussières et al., 2015).

Primary feasibility outcomes for both chiropractors and patients include rates of: 1) recruitment, 2) study retention, and 3) adherence to the intervention (Tickle-Degnen, 2013). A checklist of proxy measures embedded within patient encounter forms will be used to assess chiropractors' compliance with guideline recommendations e.g., exercise and self-care prescriptions, at study onset and at three months follow-up.

Secondary outcomes include whether or not the chiropractor's recommended multimodal care, scores on measures of behavioural constructs e.g., self-efficacy, knowledge.

Primary clinical outcomes for patients includes measures of pain intensity and neck pain-specific disability.

Analyses from this pilot study will focus on generating point estimates and corresponding 95% confidence intervals for parameters of a priori interest (e.g., recruitment, retention, adherence, pain intensity, neck disability index).

Discussion: The main strength of this study includes its use of a representative sample and randomized controlled design. The results of this study will inform the design of a larger cluster randomized controlled trial aimed at confirming the effectiveness and increasing the use of multimodal care by chiropractors managing patients with NSNP.

Chiropractors

Inclusion criteria

• Registered with their professional licensing boards and in private practice in the Canada;
• Graduated at least one year ago;
• Provide chiropractic treatment to a minimum of two adults (age 18-65) with neck pain per week;
• Speak English or French; and
• Have access to Internet.

Exclusion criteria

• Chiropractors will be excluded if they have already attended the webinar series or the self-management learning module. Prior webinar and learning module participants will have needed to register beforehand, which therefore provides the mechanism for confirming study ineligibility.

Patients

Inclusion criteria

• Attend a consenting chiropractor for non-specific neck pain of any duration;
• Aged between 18 and 65, with a primary complaint of acute (<3 months) or chronic (>3 months) neck pain presenting as a new condition for treatment at the participating clinic;
• Fluency in English or French to a level where they can read and understand the study information sheet, complete the consent form, and respond to the telephone-administered questionnaire. This will be assessed by the staff member of each chiropractor's team at the time of screening; and
• Provide written informed consent.

Exclusion criteria

• Previous neck surgery;
• Presence of Red flags;
• Pregnancy; and
• Chiropractic care received in the preceding 3 months for a complaint of neck pain