Project Grant R21AT012842

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) awarded a $236,806 Project Grant (CFDA 93.213 - Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health) to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to conduct a mixed-methods study examining racial and ethnic disparities in the utilization of non-pharmacologic therapies (NPTs), such as massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic care, for Medicaid patients with back pain. The study has two key objectives: 1) to analyze 7 years of electronic health record data from 8 primary care clinics to compare NPT referral and other pain management practices across non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic Medicaid patients, and 2) to explore barriers and facilitators of NPT utilization through in-depth interviews with Black and Hispanic patients. The project will integrate quantitative and qualitative data to identify individual, clinic, and community factors influencing differential NPT uptake across racial and ethnic groups. OHSU has subcontracted with Comagine Health, a nonprofit healthcare consulting firm, to support aspects of the research.