• Pradeep Suri, Kristin Delaney, Sean D Rundell, and Daniel C Cherkin.
• Seattle Epidemiologic Research and Information Center (ERIC), Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Research and Development, Seattle, Washington; Division of Rehabilitation Care Services, VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, Washington; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington. Electronic address: pradeep.suri@va.gov.
• Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2018 Aug 1; 99 (8): 1533-1539.e2.

ObjectiveTo examine the predictive validity of the Subgrouping for Targeted Treatment (STarT Back) tool for classifying people with back pain into categories of low, medium, and high risk of persistent disabling back pain in U.S. primary care.DesignSecondary analysis of data from participants receiving usual care in a randomized clinical trial.SettingPrimary care clinics.ParticipantsAdults (N = 1109) ≥18 years of age with back pain. Those with specific causes of back pain (pregnancy, disc herniation, vertebral fracture, spinal stenosis) and work-related injuries were not included.InterventionsNot applicable.Main Outcome MeasuresThe original 9-item version of the STarT Back tool, administered at baseline, stratified patients by their risk (low, medium, high) of persistent disabling back pain (STarT Back risk group). Persistent disabling back pain was defined as Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire scores of ≥7 at 6-month follow-up.ResultsThe STarT Back risk group was a significant predictor of persistent disabling back pain (P<.0001) at 6-month follow-up. The proportion of individuals with persistent disabling back pain at follow-up was 22% (95% confidence interval [CI] 18-25) in the low-risk group, 62% (95% CI 57-67) in the medium-risk group, and 80% (95% CI 75-85) in the high-risk group. The relative risk of persistent disabling back pain was 2.9 (95% CI 2.4-3.5) in the medium-risk group compared to the low-risk group, and 3.7 (95% CI 3.1-4.4) in the high-risk group.ConclusionsThe STarT Back risk groups successfully separated people with back pain into distinct categories of risk for persistent disabling back pain at 6-month follow-up in U.S. primary care. These results were very similar to those in the original STarT Back validation study. This validation study is a necessary first step toward identifying whether the entire STarT Back approach, including matched/targeted treatment, can be effectively used for primary care in the United States.Published by Elsevier Inc.

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