What is OPTIMIZE?

The OPTIMIZE Low Back Pain trial is a national pragmatic trial being conducted at the Johns Hopkins University, University of Utah, and Intermountain Healthcare that seeks to understand the proper sequencing of common and effective treatments for chronic low back pain.

Pragmatic trials take place in typical, real-world healthcare clinics. Treatments used in this trial are evidence-based and are provided by physical therapists and behavioral health therapists, which include:

• Physical therapy
• Cognitive behavioral therapy
• Mindfulness oriented recovery enhancement

Recent Activity

Read our most recent newsletter for study updates!

Funding

OPTIMIZE Low Back Pain is funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI), an independent, non-profit organization authorized by Congress in 2010.

Fact sheet

For more information, please contact the Program Manager Tricia Kirkhart at (410) 502-4453 ([email protected]). 

The OPTIMIZE Low Back Pain trial is being coordinated by University of Utah (PI: Julie Fritz, web-site). 

Richard Skolasky, Sc.D. is the site principal investigator for this trial at Johns Hopkins.

Stephen Wegener, Ph.D. and Rachel Aaron, Ph.D. are co-investigators on the trial and the physical medicine & rehabilitation leads for the study.

PI: Richard L. Skolasky, Sc.D.

Protocol #: IRB00190064

Recruitment as of January 2020