Abstract
Purpose and Background: Although numerous guidelines have been developed to aid practitioners and patients in managing back pain, there remains a gap between the evidence-based recommendations and daily practice. The current project set out to encourage collaboration between patients and professionals in primary care in closing the gap between evidence and practice and to improve the management of back pain.
Methods: 10 GP practice teams, consisting of patient representatives, GPs, clinical and non-clinical practice staff, were recruited for participation in a series of workshops and practice meetings. Collaboration between these professionals and patients was stimulated by providing training and information for all groups. The aim of the workshops was to use quality improvement tools and input from patients to identify barriers to more effective back pain management and come up with alternatives in order to provide more effective and efficient back pain services in primary care. Changes in service provision and patient care will be evaluated using qualitative and quantitative techniques.
Conclusion: Most practices managed to recruit patient representatives for their improvement projects and preliminary results show that all found the input from these patients essential in identifying barriers and solutions. Practices identified numerous areas for improvement but common themes were patient information and communication.
Correspondence should be addressed to SBPR at the Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE, England.
