Journal
SPINE
Volume 35, Issue 8, Pages 858-866Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3181d4e04b
Keywords
low back pain; clinical practice guidelines; implementation; clinical behavior; practitioner beliefs; knowledge transfer; chiropractors; osteopaths; musculoskeletal physiotherapists
Categories
Funding
- Osteopathic Educational Foundation
- Anglo-European College of Chiropractic TAM Club
- General Osteopathic Council
- British Chiropractic Association
- National Institutes of Health Research (NIHR), UK
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Study Design. Randomized controlled trial. Objective. To investigate the effect of a printed information package on the low back pain (LBP)-related beliefs and reported behavior of musculoskeletal practitioners (chiropractors, osteopaths, and musculoskeletal physiotherapists) across the United Kingdom. Summary of Background Data. A substantial proportion of musculoskeletal practitioners in United Kingdom does not follow current LBP guideline recommendations. Methods. In total, 1758 practitioners were randomly allocated to either of the 2 study arms. One arm was posted a printed information package containing guideline recommendations for the management of LBP (n = 876) and the other received no intervention (n = 882). The primary outcome measure consisted of 3 quality indicators ( activity, work, and bed-rest) relating to a vignette of a patient with LBP, in which responses were dichotomized into either guideline-inconsistent or guideline-consistent. The secondary outcome was the practitioners' LBP-related beliefs, measured using the Health Care Providers Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale. Outcomes were measured at baseline and at 6 months. Results. Follow-up at 6 months was 89%. The changes in reported behavior on the quality indicators were as follows: activity, odds ratio (OR) 1.29 (95% confidence interval, 1.03-1.61) and number needed to be treated (NNT), 19 (15-28); work, OR 1.35 (1.07-1.70) and NNT 19 (14-29); and bed-rest, OR 1.31 (0.97-1.76) and NNT 47 (33-103). The composite NNT for a change from guideline-inconsistent to guideline-consistent behavior on at least 1 of the 3 quality indicators was 10 (9-14). LBP-related beliefs were significantly improved in those who were sent the information package (P = 0.002), but only to a small degree (mean difference, 0.884 scale points; 95% confidence interval, 0.319-1.448). Conclusion. Printed educational material can shift LBP-related beliefs and reported behaviors of musculoskeletal practitioners, toward practice that is more in line with guideline recommendations.
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