Screening and eligibility
Participants are screened for eligibility using a CATI
and if eligible scheduled for a baseline in-person screening
interview and physical examination. At this appointment,
baseline visit 1 (BL1), participants first complete a
HIPAA notice of privacy form, provide contact information
and sign an initial informed consent document that
allows us to use their baseline information even if they
are not enrolled in the study. They then complete questionnaires
on their past medical history and provide
baseline responses to the self-report outcomes. A study
coordinator obtains participants’ height and weight and
reviews all forms for missing or incomplete data, clarifies
any questionable entries, and enters eligibility items
into a web-based interface programmed with eligibility
checks. If a participant is eligible for further screening,
the study coordinator verbally provides an overview of
the study using a flow chart (Figure 1), explains the
forthcoming informed consent documents in detail, and
shows a video demonstrating the biomechanical and
treatment procedures used in the study.
A research clinician reviews the participant’s past
medical history and initiates the clinical evaluation with
questions regarding relevant aspects of the health history.
The clinician then obtains a focused history of the
participant’s low back pain and performs an eligibility
examination. To assist with diagnosis, radiographs and
urinary analysis may be ordered; if any other diagnostic
procedure is necessary to evaluate the condition, the
participant is excluded from the study and referred to
an appropriate healthcare provider. When available, and
with participant consent, health records are requested
and reviewed as part of the screening process.