Assessment after the UEMS accreditation of a PRM programme of care for patients with low back pain

Abstract

Abstract / Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 54S (2011) e272–e280 CO28-011–EN Assessment after the UEMS accreditation of a PRMprogramme of care for patients with low back pain A. Juocevicius Vilnius University, medical faculty, Center of PMR Europe; UEMS;Accreditation; Programme of care; Quality of care; Low back pain; Lithuania Aim.– Evaluation of the improvement of the quality of rehabilitation care delive-red by the Rehabilitation, Physical and Sports Medicine Department after PRMPC for patients with low back pain accreditation. Procedureandresults.– Theactionplanforthisprogrammewassetupaccordingto its weak points expressed in the accreditation procedure:–PRM specialists should obtain the full responsibility of the patient during thecourse of the programme, especially for the medical diagnosis revision;–advocacy should be developed in order to promote good health behaviour e.g.visiting working environment;–scientific activities and research works should be increased in the field of lowback pain rehabilitation.The accreditation process and promotion of the programme was a good opportu-nity to implement team meetings, to systematically assess teamwork and to payattention to some weak aspect of the programme. The process was an additionalmotivation to look at the team’s everyday practice.Our analysis of the programme outcomes shows that PRM PC for patientswith low back pain and lumbo-sacral radiculopathy was brought up closer tointernational evidence-based standards. After completion of the acute and earlyacutecomprehensiverehabilitationofpatientswithLBP,theindicesatdischargebecame statistically significantly different between main group of patients andcontrols. The length of stay in rehabilitation programmes of those patients wasshorter and a financial effect was proved.The results we got through this accredited programme will foster the develop-mentofNationalhealthcarestandardsforpeoplewithlowbackpain,andinducethe development of National guidelines for implementation of ICF for low backpain.