Do physical therapists recognise established risk factors? : Swedish physical therapists' evaluation in comparison to guidelines

• Background and purpose The Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care has widely distributed the most recent Swedish evidence-based review on neck and back pain. In this review psychosocial factors were acknowledged as important risk factors for developing chronic pain. We surveyed physical therapists’ evaluation of risk factors for the development of chronic pain. The results were compared to the review of the Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care.Methods A postal questionnaire was sent to all 117 physical therapists working in primary care in Örebro County, Sweden.Results The survey was responded to by 102 physical therapists (87%). Over 50% of them indicated as important more than twice as many risk factors than are supported by the evidence-based review.More than 50% of the physical therapists pointed out all eight evidence-based factors described in the evidence-based review but they also indicated a median of 10 additional factors with little or no support in the literature. More than 80% of the physical therapists responded according to the recommendations of the evidence-based review concerning sick leave and instructions to patients regarding activities and pain relief. Forty-four physical therapists (43%) indicated that they could predict which patients would develop chronic pain in the future.Conclusions Physical therapists represented by this sample were well aware of the importance of psychosocial risk factors, but because of the large number of additional factors indicated it seems physical therapists lack specificity about which factors are important.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Allmänmedicin (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- General Practice (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Psychosocial factors

physical therapy

evidence-based medicine

risk factors

Family medicine

Allmänmedicin

Rehabilitation Medicine

Rehabiliteringsmedicin

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)