Short summary

The overreaching aim with the cohort is to map the content of care for patients with low back pain in Danish General Practice, and to establish knowledge on the mechanisms that impact consumption of healthcare both from a patient perspective and from a health care perspective.

Rationale

There is a large gap in the knowledge about usual care in relation to back pain in general practice. This includes a lack of knowledge about barriers or facilitators for following the recommendations of clinical guidelines, the decision processes in general practice, the variation in care between practitioners and patient subgroups, and outcomes for this patient population.

It is therefore unclear what the main areas for better solutions in back pain management are, including the potential for solutions to address inequality in health.

Description of the cohort

The cohort is a research infrastructure project that will facilitate systematic data collection from a group of low back pain patients from Danish general practice.

Data and biological material

GPs agreeing to participate complete an survey before patient inclusion is initiated in their region.

The survey asks about clinician demographics (age, sex, years of clinical experience, rural/urban location), potential barriers and facilitators for adherence to guidelines. Finally, interviews and observations of consultations are conducted with purposively sampled doctors as part of the data collection.

Patient surveys include established prognostic factors, outcome measures, and questions about management. GP registered patient information includes information about the type of consultation (initial visit, planned follow-up, other re-visit), procedures and treatments that cannot be retrieved from registry data, shared decision, and perceived barriers for optimal management. The exact content is developed with the user panels in the pilot study.

Interviews are planned to be conducted with purposively sampled patients as part of the data collection. Furthermore, data from the cohort can be merged with national registers to answer specific research questions.

Collaborating researchers and departments

The Research Unit for General Practice

Diagnostic Centre, Silkeborg Regional Hospital

Center for Muscle and Joint Health, University of Southern Denmark