Article

PURPOSE: To identify the information needs of people with low back pain (LBP) in
Australia, and the preferred methods to present this information online, as a
basis for development of a patient-centred website. Available online LBP
resources are limited in quality and content and it is not clear if they are
meeting the needs of sufferers. METHOD: Focus groups and semi-structured
telephone interviews, involving 28 people with LBP. RESULTS: Seven categories of
information were identified: reasons for LBP, treatment and management options,
self-help information, psychological and social dimensions, lay stories, quality
assurance of information and roles of different healthcare professionals and
locally available services. Identified preferences for online presentation
included: multimodality, emphasis on visual media, readability and interactivity.
Participants had been unable to obtain desired LBP information using existing
resources. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides important guidance for development of
a patient-centred website grounded in the expressed needs and preferences of
people with LBP. Understanding the breadth of patients' questions and concerns is
essential for provision of patient-centred information and interventions.
Incorporating these with the current evidence base would provide an accessible
and relevant LBP patient education referral point, which is currently lacking.
Implications for Rehabilitation Use of the internet to obtain health information
is increasing, although there is little evidence that existing low back pain
websites are meeting the expressed needs of health consumers. Our research
suggests that people with low back pain have difficulty finding relevant and
trustworthy information about the condition on the internet. Taking patient
information needs and presentation preferences into account when designing online
information material will provide people with low back pain an accessible and
relevant educational resource that is currently lacking.

Langue : ANGLAIS