Usual care for low back pain and barriers to best practice: A cross-sectional study in Danish general practice

Bodil Al Mashhadi Arnbak*, Tue Secher Jensen, Rikke Arnborg Lund, Jan Hartvigsen, Jens Søndergaard, Janus Laust Thomsen, John Sahl Andersen, Anne Møller, Birgitte Nørgaard, Camilla Blach Rossen, Alice Kongsted

*Corresponding author af dette arbejde

Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskriftTidsskriftartikelForskningpeer review

Abstract

Objectives
To describe the current content of low back pain (LBP) care in Danish general practice, the patients' self-management activities, and the clinicians' experienced barriers to providing best practice care.

Methods
This cross-sectional observational study included adults with LBP seeking care in Danish general practice from August 2022 to June 2023. Patient-reported information included demographics, pain intensity, medical history, treatments, and self-management strategies. Clinicians provided data specific to each consultation, detailing the content of these consultations, and barriers to best practice in the specific cases.

Results
The study involved 71 clinicians from 42 general practice clinics, with patient-reported data from 294 patients, and clinician-reported data from 283 (95%) consultations. The mean age for the included patients was 53 years, 56% were female, and 31% had been on sick leave for LBP during the previous 3 months. Moreover, 44% had seen two or more healthcare professionals in the previous month, 55% had previously undergone diagnostic imaging for LBP, 81% reported using any type of analgesics, and 14% reported using opioids. The majority (91%) reported engaging in self-management activities to alleviate pain. Consultations typically included a physical examination (84%), information about the cause of the pain (74%), and management advice (68%), as reported by clinicians or patients. In general, clinicians reported consultation elements more frequently than patients. Clinicians reported providing best practice care in 84% of cases, with time constraints (23%) and patient expectations (10%) being the most common barriers.

Conclusions
This study provides detailed insights into the management of LBP in Danish general practice. It reveals a complex landscape of patient engagement, varying management strategies, and differing perceptions of care content between patients and clinicians. Patients were often engaged in self-management activities and clinicians reported few barriers to providing best practice care.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
Artikelnummere1911
TidsskriftMusculoskeletal Care
Vol/bind22
Udgave nummer2
Antal sider10
ISSN1478-2189
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2024

Bibliografisk note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank the patients, clinic staff and GPs who participated and contributed to this study. The study was funded by The Danish Regions. The funders played no role in the design, undertaking, or reporting of the study.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 The Author(s). Musculoskeletal Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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