Abstract
Background
In 2009, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) produced the guidance: Low back pain: early management of persistent non-specific low back pain aimed at general practitioners (GPs), consultants, and manual therapists in order to ensure all involved in the care of this complex and often debilitating condition are aware of the options most likely to yield a positive outcome.
Two years since the publication of the clinical guidance, services have had ample time to adapt and overcome early teething issues in order to deliver these guidelines.
Methods
A retrospective audit was carried out at an out-patient physiotherapy department. One-hundred notes were randomly selected from those who meet the NICE criteria, i.e. non-specific low back pain for six weeks to 12 months in duration. A questionnaire was developed to target National Health Service (NHS) musculoskeletal physiotherapists using electronic media, mail shot and professional networking (clinical interest) groups within the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP). Sixty-one completed questionnaires were returned detailing the barriers for implementation.
The results show that 75% of patients received NICE recommended care, and they improved by numerical rating scale (NRS) ā3.89, while those who did not, improved by NRS ā1.24 producing a significant difference of 2.654 (95% Confidence Interval 1.008ā4.300), pā¤0.002.
The main perceived barriers were too few follow-up slots, local policy, managerial demands, and inadequate training.
Conclusions
The conclusions are that while three-quarters of patients are receiving and benefiting from NICE recommended care, many practitioners feel departmental policy and procedures reduce compliance.
Conflicts of Interest
None
Source of Funding
Poster funding via the University of Leicester
This abstract has not been previously published in whole or in part; nor has it been presented previously at a national meeting.