It is my privilege to be a part of the advisory committee for the PCORI-funded study, called “Back on Track” (see further details below), with Dr. Lynn DeBar, PhD, MPH, Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute, as principal investigator along with an excellent and respected team. I believe the team’s passion and interest to connect the dots locally and with related efforts in the country is integral for the end game of improved patient care outcomes. This came to life during discussions and after-meeting brainstorming at the annual in-person advisory meeting in Portland, Oregon.
You can read background about this study, officially titled: A Naturalistic Experiment Evaluating the Impact of Medicaid Treatment Reimbursement Changes on Opioid Prescribing and Patient Outcomes Among Patients with Back Pain (“Back on Track”), in case you aren’t familiar with it.
I was able to listen and learn, offer patient-centered suggestions, and make helpful connections related to comprehensive integrative pain management—and what is happening across the country—to the talented team of researchers, scientists and clinicians working on this study. I deeply appreciate Lynn DeBar’s past participation in the October 2017 Pain Policy Congress and am hopeful that she, or a representative from this study, will be able to attend the Pain Policy Congress in May 2020!