Embedded Emergency Department Physical Therapy: Groundwork for a Future Multi-Site Effectiveness-Implementation Trial.

Howard Kim, MD, MS
Northwestern University

ABSTRACT:
Low back pain is a common reason for patients to visit the emergency department (ED) yet our current care model is suboptimal. Patients continue to experience pain and disability following an ED visit for back pain and clinicians frequently utilize low value care. Physical therapy can be an effective non-pharmacologic intervention for low back pain but is typically offered only by appointment in dedicated clinics. This presentation will describe our foundational work building an embedded ED physical therapy care model for low back pain, share results from a recent single-site randomized trial, and discuss our plans for a future multi-site trial on the application of this care model to other clinical conditions such as dizziness/vertigo.