10/10/08

The US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded a grant for $310,479 to the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research (PCCR) to start-up a practice-based research network to assess complementary and alternative medicine models of pain management. As the project is a joint effort, Palmer will sub-contract for half of the grant ($155,239) to the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pa.

The purpose of this project is to develop the framework for a descriptive database for a range of pain management approaches, to test data collection protocols, and to launch a group of participating practices, clinicians and patient populations. The PCCR Office of Data Management & Biostatistics operate as the Data Coordinating Center for a new practice-based research network (PBRN). In addition, the Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine (JMBCIM) will work to co-develop protocols and oversight mechanisms to uphold practice-based network efforts.

According to Principal Investigator Maria Hondras, DC, MPH, “The long-term goal is to establish a large, pain-focused practice-based research network of complementary and alternative medicine providers who systematically collect health outcomes assessments from their patients and track outcomes.” Hondras is also a faculty member at the PCCR.

Additional Palmer researchers on board with the project are Co-Investigator Christine Choate, DC, PhD, executive director for research at the PCCR, and Biostatician/Co-Investigator Cynthia Long, PhD, who heads the Office of Data Management & Biostatistics for the PCCR. Serving as co-investigators from Jefferson-Myrna Brind Center for Integrative Medicine are Daniel Monti, MD, and Joel Edman, DSc.

“This project is significant because one of the most common complaints seen in complementary and alternative medicine and integrative medicine practices, especially chiropractic practices, is low back pain,” noted Hondras. “While there is a growing collection of both clinical trials and population studies examining the use of CAM by the general public, very little is known regarding the actual clinical practice of CAM modalities in either small clinician practices or in integrated health systems. Our goal is to establish a CAM-PBRN including providers in chiropractic, acupuncture, massage therapy, naturopathy, osteopathic manual medicine and integrative medicine. We look forward to this multi-disciplinary collaborative effort.”