Patients’ and primary healthcare professionals’ perceptions regarding chronic low back pain and its management in Spain: a qualitative study

Purpose: This study aimed to explore and compare the perceptions of patients and primary healthcare professionals regarding the management of chronic low back pain. Methods: Qualitative study using 26 semi-structured individual interviews, and one discussion group, carried out in primary care in Lle...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Savulescu, Camelia, García-Martínez, Ester, Molina-Luque, Fidel, Soler-González, Jorge, Blanco-Blanco, Joan, Rubí-Carnacea, Francesc, Climent Sanz, Carolina, Briones-Vozmediano, Erica
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:20.500.12328/4500
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12328/4500
https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09638288.2019.1705923
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Mal d'esquena
Dolor crònic
Atenció primària de salut
Gestió del dolor
Investigació qualitativa
Espanya
Dolor lumbar
Dolor crónico
Atención primaria
Manejo del dolor
Investigación cualitativa
España
Low back pain
Chronic pain
Primary health care
Pain management
Qualitative research
Spain
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Descripción
Sumario:Purpose: This study aimed to explore and compare the perceptions of patients and primary healthcare professionals regarding the management of chronic low back pain. Methods: Qualitative study using 26 semi-structured individual interviews, and one discussion group, carried out in primary care in Lleida, Spain. Results: Patients and primary healthcare professionals both had assumptions pertaining to: (1) the diagnosis and meaning of chronic low back pain, (2) expectations regarding treatment for pain reduction, and (3) communication between primary healthcare professionals and patients with chronic low back pain. Results suggest a mutual dissatisfaction with the diagnosis of chronic low back pain and a lack of understanding between primary healthcare professionals and patients. Some contradictions between them were also noted: the patients wanted quick solutions to reduce their pain, but the primary healthcare professionals required an accurate etiology to prescribe treatment, and the patients did not always follow the primary healthcare professionals’ recommendations. Conclusions: Diagnosing and treating chronic low back pain is compromised due to differing expectations and the communication barriers that exist between healthcare professionals and their patients. Primary healthcare professionals should be aware of the power of their explanations and recommendations to patients. Implications for Rehabilitation: Primary healthcare professionals should negotiate treatments with patients and adapt them to their individual needs, according to a Patient-Centered approach and the biopsychosocial model of pain. Primary healthcare professionals should explain to patients the underlying mechanisms and multifactorial nature of chronic low back pain. Primary healthcare professional-patient communication needs to be improved to help patients to better understand their chronic condition. The healthcare professionals in Spain should be more trained into the (bio)psychosocial model of long-term pain, stop searching for non-evident pathologies and change their biomedical beliefs.