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The following is a summary of “Provider perception of presentations with nonspecific back pain in the emergency department and primary care practices: a semi-structured interview study,” published in the September 2024 issue of Emergency Medicine by Benning et al.

Rising numbers of patients aspiring emergency department care for non-specific back pain (NSBP) causes difficulties in high-quality care delivery.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate the diagnostic and therapeutic method for NSBP in emergency primary care settings.

They executed research employing semi-structured interviews with 7 Emergency Physicians (EP) and 9 General Practitioners (GP). A hypothetical case of NSBP with questions on diagnostic and therapeutic approaches were presented., halting the recruitment after attaining saturation leading to report work which pursues criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist.

The results showed EPs used 2 methods for the workup of NSBP. A guideline-compliant approach was employed to eliminate critical conditions and handle pain without extensive diagnostics. Another group of EPs used extensive diagnostic and specialist consultations. In contrast, GPs highlighted biological examinations and stepwise treatment, with scheduled follow-ups and an adequate knowledge of patient history to conduct diagnostics and therapy. Both groups linked ED visits for NSBP to patient-related and healthcare system-related factors: lack of understanding of healthcare structures, convenience, demand for immediate diagnostics, and fear of severe conditions. Similarly, both groups reported a contributing factor as an ill-suited healthcare infrastructure with inadequate primary care services.

They concluded that there is a need to improve guideline adherence in younger EPs for adequate patient education on the healthcare infrastructure.

Source: intjem.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12245-024-00694-2