THE OBJECTIVES FOR THIS PROPOSED PROJECT ARE TO TEST AND MODIFY THE INTERACTIVE MICROCOMPUTER PATIENT ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR HEALTH (IMPATH) TO ENSURE TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY AND CONSTRUCT VALIDITY, AS WELL AS ESTABLISH NORMATIVE VALUES FOR BOTH A GENERAL

THE OBJECTIVES FOR THIS PROPOSED PROJECT ARE TO TEST AND MODIFY THE INTERACTIVE MICROCOMPUTER PATIENT ASSESSMENT TOOL FOR HEALTH (IMPATH) TO ENSURE TEST-RETEST RELIABILITY AND CONSTRUCT VALIDITY, AS WELL AS ESTABLISH NORMATIVE VALUES FOR BOTH A GENERAL POPULATION AND A CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN POPULATION. THE EFFORT IS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA AND SISTER KENNEY INSTITUTE OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA. IMPATH IS A MICROCOMPUTER SOFTWARE PROGRAM DESIGNED TO INTERACTIVELY EVALUATE A PATIENT WITH CHRONIC LOW BACK PAIN, IMMEDIATELY ANALYZE THE RESULTS, AND PRINT REPORTS IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL MEDICAL, BEHAVIORAL, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS AS WELL AS SCORES OF INDICES TO MEASURE PATIENT PROGRESS. THE REPORTS ARE USED IN A SELF-CARE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM TO IDENTIFY AND MONITOR POTENTIAL FACTORS THAT REQUIRE CHANGING IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE PAIN AND FUNCTIONING OF THE PATIENT. ONCE TESTED, IMPATH FOR LOW BACK PAIN WILL BE USED AS A PROTOTYPE TO DEVELOP IMPATH FOR OTHER CHRONIC ILLNESSES AND TO DEVELOP INTERACTIVE MICROCOMPUTER PATIENT EDUCATION TOOLS FOR HEALTH (IMPETH). IMPETH WILL BE USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH IMPATH, TO EDUCATE AND TRAIN THE PATIENT IN CHANGING SPECIFIC AND COMMON CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.