Feasibility of an intensive interprofessional lifestyle medicine program for patients with musculoskeletal conditions in the setting of lifestyle-related chronic disease

Background: Lifestyle factors are associated with musculoskeletal pain and metabolic chronic diseases. To date, intensive lifestyle medicine programs have predominantly targeted metabolic rather than musculoskeletal conditions. Objective: To assess the feasibility of an intensive interprofessional lifestyle medicine program for patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Design: Prospective observational feasibility study. Setting: Tertiary academic medical center. Patients: Adults diagnosed with musculoskeletal condition(s) and lifestyle-related chronic disease(s) who previously completed standard-of-care musculoskeletal treatments, enrolled from 2018 to 2020. Interventions: Patients enrolled in an intensive interprofessional lifestyle medicine program led by a physiatrist, with options to interface with an acupuncturist, dietician, massage therapist, psychologist, physical therapist, and smoking cessation specialist. The physiatrist engaged in shared decision making with patients to establish program goals related to function, overall health, and required lifestyle changes. Bimonthly interprofessional team conferences facilitated communication between treatment team and patients. Main Outcome Measures: Feasibility was measured by patient participation and goal attainment. Secondary outcomes included changes from program enrollment to discharge in patient anthropometric, metabolic lab, sleep apnea risk, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) function, pain, and behavioral health measures. Results: Twenty-six patients enrolled in the program (18 [69%] female, mean age 59 [SD 14.5] years, baseline hemoglobin A1c 6.0% [0.8%], high-sensitivity C-reactive protein 7.7 [12.1] mg/dL, 25-hydroxy vitamin D 32.0 [14.2] ng/mL). Of 21 (81%) patients who completed the program, 13/21 (62%) met their goal. On average, program completers presented for 26.2 (10.6) total visits over 191 (88) days. By discharge, program completers achieved clinically meaningful improvement in PROMIS Anxiety (mean difference −3.5 points, 95% confidence interval [−6.5 to 0.5], p =.035), whereas noncompleters did not (p >.05). Conclusions: An intensive interprofessional lifestyle medicine program for patients with musculoskeletal conditions is feasible. With training in lifestyle intervention, physiatrists are well suited to lead interprofessional teams aimed at assisting patients in making lifestyle changes to achieve personalized function- and health-related goals.