Assessing Implementation Readiness and Success of an e-Resource to Improve Prelicensure Physical Therapy Workforce Capacity to Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Study Design Prospective within-subject, cross-sectional, between-group, nested qualitative designs within an implementation science framework. Background Physical therapy is recommended for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) care, yet prelicensure RA curriculum time remains limited. Objectives To determine readiness for, and success of, implementing an e-learning tool, Rheumatoid Arthritis for Physiotherapists e-Learning (RAP-eL), within the prelicensure physical therapy curriculum. Methods All physical therapy students in a 1-year cohort in 2014 had RAP-eL embedded in their curriculum. Rheumatoid Arthritis for Physiotherapists e-Learning is an online platform that delivers RA disease information with translation to clinical practice. Implementation readiness, determined by acceptability of RAP-eL to students, was evaluated using focus groups (n = 23). Implementation success was measured using quantitative data from a previously validated questionnaire, including changes in students' self-reported confidence in knowledge (out of 45) and skills (out of 40) in managing RA after 4 weeks of access to RAP-eL, retention of learning over 14 months, and differences in workforce readiness between students in the cohort who had access to RAP-eL and a historical control cohort. Results Acceptability of RAP-eL was confirmed from qualitative data, demonstrating implementation readiness. Short-term improvements were observed in RA knowledge (mean difference, 16.6; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 15.7, 17.6) and RA skills (mean difference, 14.9; 95% CI: 13.9, 15.9; n = 137). Retention was demonstrated after 14 months (P<.001; n = 62). Students in the 1-year cohort who had RAP-eL embedded in the curriculum scored significantly higher on knowledge (mean difference, 3.6; 95% CI: 1.3, 5.9) and skills (mean difference, 3.3; 95% CI: 0.9, 5.7; n = 62) compared to those without RAP-eL (n = 36). Rheumatoid Arthritis for Physiotherapists e-Learning remains embedded in the curriculum. Conclusion This study demonstrated both readiness and success of the sustainable implementation of RAP-eL within a prelicensure physical therapy curriculum. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017;47(9):652-663. doi:10.2519/jospt.2017.7281.

Sensory characteristics of chronic non-specific low back pain: a subgroup investigation.

It has been proposed that patients with chronic non-specific low back pain (CNSLBP) can be broadly classified based on clinical features that represent either predominantly a mechanical pain (MP) or non-mechanical pain (NMP) profile. The aim of this study was to establish if patients with CNSLBP who report features of NMP demonstrate differences in pain thresholds compared to those who report MP characteristics and pain-free controls. This study was a cross-sectional design investigating whether pressure pain threshold (PPT) and/or cold pain threshold (CPT) at three anatomical locations differed between patients with mechanical CNSLBP (n = 17) versus non-mechanical CNSLBP (n = 19 and healthy controls (n = 19) whilst controlling for confounders. The results of this study provide evidence of increased CPT at the wrist in the NMP profile group compared to both the MP profile and control subjects, when controlling for gender, sleep and depression (NMP versus MP group Odds Ratio (OR): 18.4, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.5-133.1, p = 0.004). There was no evidence of lowered PPT at any site after adjustment for confounding factors. Those with an MP profile had similar pain thresholds to pain-free controls, whereas the NMP profile group demonstrated elevated CPT's consistent with central amplification of pain. These findings may represent different pain mechanisms associated with these patient profiles and may have implications for targeted management.