Factors contributing to non-compliance with active physiotherapy guidelines among chronic low back pain patients in India

Non-adherence to active physiotherapeutic CLBP treatment guideline recommendations

Authors

  • G. Shankar Ganesh Department of Physiotherapy, Composite Regional Centre for Skill Development, Rehabilitation, and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Lucknow - India and Department of Physiotherapy, Integral University, Lucknow - India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9264-2312
  • Abdur Khan Department of Physiotherapy, Integral University, Lucknow - India https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0898-0272
  • Ashfaque Khan Department of Physiotherapy, Integral University, Lucknow - India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33393/aop.2024.3217

Keywords:

Exercise, Implementation science, Low back pain, Motivation, Patients, Qualitative research

Abstract

Introduction: Physiotherapists exhibit different degrees of adherence to clinical guidelines for low back pain (LBP). The preferences and expectations of their patients significantly influence physiotherapists’ adherence to these guidelines. Therefore, it is crucial to have a comprehensive analysis of the patients’ perspectives, which can identify the factors that prevent the implementation of an active approach.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with patients suffering from non-specific chronic LBP (CLBP). We transcribed the semi-structured interviews verbatim and conducted an inductive thematic analysis to uncover themes related to the participants’ expectations and experiences of consultations with physiotherapists for CLBP.

Results: In total, we interviewed thirty-three individuals, with 14 women and 19 men (mean age 53 + 12 years). Our thematic analysis discovered six overarching themes that are relevant to patients’ expectations and experiences. We identified several sub-themes under the “physiotherapist-related factors” and “patient-related factors” themes. Additional themes recognized were guideline-related factors, institution-related factors, healthcare-related factors, and health information. A significant number of participants expressed dissatisfaction with the short timeframe allocated by the physiotherapist.

Conclusions: Multiple participants expressed dissatisfaction with their experience, particularly about the quality of explanations and the nature of the exercises provided. This emphasizes the importance of patient education, and physiotherapists should consider suggesting active interventions that the family, society, and culture can more easily accept. Accordingly, the formulation of future guidelines for nations like India should take into account these patient expectations and perspectives.

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Published

2024-12-29

How to Cite

Ganesh, G. S., Khan, A., & Khan, A. (2024). Factors contributing to non-compliance with active physiotherapy guidelines among chronic low back pain patients in India: Non-adherence to active physiotherapeutic CLBP treatment guideline recommendations . Archives of Physiotherapy, 14(1), 155–169. https://doi.org/10.33393/aop.2024.3217

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Original Research Article

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Received 2024-07-20
Accepted 2024-12-16
Published 2024-12-29

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