Low Back Pain Research Priorities from Primary Care Practitioners

Sample size: 70 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Nicholas Henschke, Christopher G. Maher, Kathryn M. Refshauge, Anurina Das, James H. McAuley

Primary Institution: Back Pain Research Group, School of Physiotherapy, University of Sydney

What are the research priorities of primary care practitioners managing low back pain?

Practitioners identified a need for more information on various topics related to low back pain management.

70 primary care practitioners participated in the study.
The response rate for the modified-Delphi survey remained above 70% throughout.
The top ten priorities included identifying patient sub-groups and evaluating treatment approaches.

Doctors and therapists who treat back pain want to know more about how to help their patients better.

A modified-Delphi survey was conducted with primary care practitioners over three rounds to identify research priorities.

Potential bias in responses due to the self-selection of participants who are already interested in low back pain management.

The study was limited to practitioners in the Sydney metropolitan area and may not represent all primary care practitioners.

Participants included 8 chiropractors, 16 general practitioners, and 46 physiotherapists, mostly male with an average of 14.8 years of experience.

Access the complete publication on the publisher's website