What factors are associated with physical therapists' use of patient-reported outcome measures in managing patients with low back pain in primary health care in Sweden?
Christine Melbye, Sara Östhols, Philip von Rosen and 1 others
PMID 40803258WHAT IT FOUND
Most Swedish physical therapists treat low back pain without using measures of health-related or psychosocial factors.
Only 14% used health-related measures and 13% used psychosocial measures, though those with higher education or specialist status were more likely to do so.
Key findings
01The majority of physical therapists used patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for pain, but very few used them for health-related or psychosocial factors.
02Having a master’s degree or PhD, or being an advanced clinical specialist, was associated with a higher likelihood of using PROMs for disability, health-related, and psychosocial factors.
03Working in a private clinic was associated with a higher likelihood of using PROMs for pain and disability compared to working in a public health care centre.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The response rate was only 25%, so the results may not represent all physical therapists in Sweden, and respondents might be more interested in PROMs than non-respondents. The study relied on self-reported frequency of use, which is subject to recall bias and may overestimate actual clinical practice. The analysis did not control for potential confounding factors such as specific clinic protocols or patient populations. The classification of PROMs into four groups was a decision by the authors and may not reflect how therapists use these tools in mixed ways.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the association between higher education and PROM use as proof that advanced degrees cause better assessment practices. The study is cross-sectional and self-reported, so it cannot prove causality, and the low response rate means the most engaged therapists may be overrepresented.
Summarised by AI from the full paper, without a clinician reviewing it. Check it against the source before it changes what you do. Read it on PubMed →