Current Physiotherapy Practices of Outcome Measures in the Management of Low Back Pain: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: The patients with low back pain have the frequency to seek physiotherapy. There are various outcome measures for low back pain with proven reliability and validity. Objective: To investigate the practice level of physiotherapists working in clinical settings about the usage of outcome measures for low back pain and its barriers. Study type,settings& duration:A cross-sectional study was conducted at different public and private hospital/ clinical setting or health care setting of Karachi, Pakistan from August to December 2019. Methodology:A questionnaire was used to conduct study among 335 physiotherapists. Frequencies and percentages were reported of all descriptive variables. Mean and standard deviation was used to report continuous data. Results:Among 335 physiotherapists, 118 (35.2%) were males, and 217 (64.8%) were females with a mean age of 29.88±5.92 and clinical experience of 5±5.9 years. About 244(72.8%) physiotherapists use outcome measures. Mostly, physiotherapists use a pain visual analogue scale. Approximately 88 (26.2%), 83 (24.7), and 61 (18.2%) physiotherapists identify lack of access to information, lack of time and knowledge as barriers to use outcome measures, respectively. Conclusion:The outcome measures in low back pain being used in physiotherapy practices like other health care professions. However, the lack of access to the information is the most perceived barrier to use outcome measures. The study suggests improving physiotherapists' access to outcome measures and their relevant information can enhance its usage