Article

There is a gap between guidelines and clinical management of
risk factors for prolonged disability in back pain. The aims of this study were
to (1) evaluate the interrater reliability of a research protocol designed to
analyze screening of physical and psychosocial risk factors for prolonged
disability in back pain during telephone consultations; and (2) describe the
overall content and the nature and extent of physical and psychosocial risk
factors assessed by physiotherapists in telephone consultations for diagnostic
screening of patients with back pain. METHODS: The material consisted of 17
initial telephone consultations regarding back pain recorded by five
physiotherapists. A research protocol covering eight evidence-based risk factors
was developed. Three raters performed separate analyses according to the
protocol. RESULTS: Intraclass correlation of how many risk factors that were
investigated was 0.82 (p < .001.) Kappa values (pairwise) of which risk factors
that were screened were 0.79, 0.73, and 0.66 (p < .001). A median of two risk
factors were screened in each consultation; most frequent was signs of spinal
pathology/radiating pain, followed by sick leave, disability, coping with pain,
and negative beliefs. Rating of pain intensity, depression, and expectations of
long-term pain were not screened. CONCLUSIONS: The method of analysis appears
reliable. It will be used in an intervention study that evaluates to what extent
physiotherapists can learn to screen in concordance with guidelines in initial
telephone consultations.

Langue : ANGLAIS