Abstract
BackgroundEvidenced-based clinical guidelines for the treatment of low back pain (LBP) consistently suggest educating patients about their back pain, its natural course, and providing advice to keep active and continue working. Despite this evidence, clinicians routinely do not follow these recommendations resulting in ineffective and fragmented care. GLA:D® Back, a standardized care package, was originally developed in Denmark to assist clinicians in implementing evidence-based care. This study will evaluate the feasibility of implementing the English version of the Danish GLA:D® Back program in Alberta, Canada.MethodsThirty-five clinicians from nineteen clinics in Alberta, Canada, participated. Feasibility of program implementation, our primary objective, was evaluated within 3 months. Feasibility success was defined as 50% clinician/clinic adoption in addition to 66–88 enrolled participants registered in the database. Our secondary objectives included collecting data pertaining to clinician confidence, attitudes and behaviour of treating patients, perceived barriers and facilitators of program in addition to collecting patient-data regarding pain, function, general health and self-efficacy.ResultsThe majority of the clinics (15/19, 79%) offered GLA:D® Back to their patients within the study period. Of the participating clinicians, GLA:D® Back was delivered by (25/35, 71%) of clinicians. In total, 78 patients were enrolled in the program and (69/78, 88%) participants attended the final assessment. Secondarily, clinicians demonstrated a biomedical and behavioural orientation along with high confidence when treating LBP patients while patient outcomes trended toward improvement.ConclusionThe English translation of the Danish GLA:D Back program was feasible for Albertan clinicians to implement into practice in both urban and rural settings.
Highlights
Low back pain (LBP) is a common, chronic recurrent symptom that is responsible for more years lived with disability than any other condition worldwide [1]
1) What uncertainties existed regarding the feasibility? Is the English version of Good Life with Osteoarthritis in Denmark (GLA):D® Back feasible when taught and tested in English? Can clinicians trained in GLA:D® Back successfully implement the program?
2) What are the key feasibility findings? The majority of clinicians trained in GLA:D® Back employed the program in clinical practice
Summary
Low back pain (LBP) is a common, chronic recurrent symptom that is responsible for more years lived with disability than any other condition worldwide [1]. Standardized care packages based on guideline recommendations are suggested as a tool to assist clinicians in implementing evidence into clinical practice [11] One such program is Good Life with Osteoarthritis in Denmark (GLA:D®) for people with knee or hip pain. Evidenced-based clinical guidelines for the treatment of low back pain (LBP) consistently suggest educating patients about their back pain, its natural course, and providing advice to keep active and continue working. Despite this evidence, clinicians routinely do not follow these recommendations resulting in ineffective and fragmented care. This study will evaluate the feasibility of implementing the English version of the Danish GLA:D® Back program in Alberta, Canada
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