New Zealand Physical Therapists

Background. Rehabilitation of patients with low back pain forms an important component of musculoskeletal physical therapist practice, yet treatment outcomes often are poorly measured. Objective. The study examined the methods used to evaluate treatment outcomes and factors influencing the use of outcomemeasures by New Zealand physical therapists. Design. This cross-sectional study used qualitative and quantitative methods for data collection. Methods. Two focus groups were conducted: one in a private practice (n6) and one in a public hospital (n6). A survey questionnaire was mailed to all private practices listed in a telecommunication database and to outpatient physical therapy departments at public hospitals (n579). Results. The mail survey achieved a 65 % response rate and showed that physical therapists use improvements in person-specific functional activities as their main outcome measure. Only 40 % of the respondents reported using back-related outcome measures. The statistically significant factors determining their use were having