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My Back My Plan: an individualised primary care program for acute low back pain

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posted on 2024-10-16, 02:09 authored by Malene AhernMalene Ahern

Low back pain (LBP) is the largest cause of years lived with disability in Australia and globally. Despite extensive research, there remains a need to address well recognised gaps between evidence and practice, to develop innovative interventions, and to redesign how clinical services are delivered effectively for LBP in primary care. The aim of this project was to develop and evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an individualised primary care program for acute LBP.

My Back My Plan (MBMP) was developed using scholarly intervention development methods such as Complex Intervention Development, Behaviour Change Wheel and Intervention Mapping. An integral component of this process was the input and guidance from key stakeholders, including healthcare practitioners and patients using co-design methodology.

To inform the development of the initial version of MBMP, two nationwide surveys were conducted to identify the experiences and expectations of primary care treatment from LBP patients and the experiences of providing treatment for LBP from primary care clinicians. These surveys revealed a need for a more person-centred and integrated approach in the primary care management of acute LBP. The initial version of MBMP was further contextually refined and co-designed with primary care clinicians and patients at the test site: General Practice and Physiotherapy clinics co-located at Macquarie University (MQ), within the integrated academic health sciences centre (MQ Health Primary Care, Sydney, Australia). A final step included consultation with nationwide experts in the field of LBP. The feedback from these sources led to the contextually refined version of MBMP.

The program was designed to be a high-value, personalised treatment option that involves interprofessional primary care for acute LBP. Treatment would be tailored for each patient based on their clinical presentation and evaluated within a biopsychosocial framework.

MBMP was then evaluated in a Phase I, single-group, pre–post intervention study at MQ Health Primary Care to assess its feasibility and acceptability. This study demonstrated that MBMP may be feasible to deliver with modifications in a primary care setting and was highly acceptable to participants. These findings suggest that further iterative changes are warranted as MBMP appears to be a promising intervention for the primary care management of acute LBP.

History

Table of Contents

1 Introduction -- 2 The evidence base underpinning My Back My Plan -- 3 Survey of patients -- 4 Survey of clinicians -- 5 My Back My Plan Version 1 -- 6 Contextual refinement of My Back My Plan for MQ Health Primary Care -- 7 Expert review of My Back My Plan -- 8 Feasibility and acceptability trial at MQ Health Primary Care -- 9 Discussion and conclusions -- 10 References -- 11 Appendices

Notes

ADDITIONAL SUPERVISOR 3: Blake Dear

Awarding Institution

Macquarie University

Degree Type

Thesis PhD

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Department, Centre or School

Department of Health Professions

Year of Award

2020

Principal Supervisor

Julia Hush

Additional Supervisor 1

Catherine Dean

Additional Supervisor 2

Simon Willcock

Rights

Copyright: The Author Copyright disclaimer: https://www.mq.edu.au/copyright-disclaimer

Language

English

Extent

312 pages

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