ArticlePloS one2018
Patients' perceived needs for medical services for non-specific low back pain: A systematic scoping review.
Article in PloS one, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 38 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
38 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 78 citations in OpenAlex.
- Patients' experiences with musculoskeletal spinal pain: a qualitative systematic review.European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society · 2026Pooled it
- Virtual Reality Assisted Non-Pharmacological Treatments in Chronic Pain Management: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Meta-Analysis.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- The Development of Spinal Pain Beliefs: Patient Journey Mapping From Onset of Symptoms to MRI: A Qualitative Interview Study.Musculoskeletal care · 2026Article
- Association Between Diagnostic Imaging, Medication Intake, and Health Outcomes in Chronic Whiplash-Associated Disorders: An Observational Study.Physiotherapy Canada. Physiotherapie Canada · 2026Article
- Assessment of the content validity of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) in patients with Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD): a qualitative study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Article
- Perception gaps between healthcare professionals and people with CLBP: an online survey of current primary care management practices in the United Kingdom.Annals of medicine · 2025Article
- "It's hard to trust an individual, it's easier to trust an image"-patients with low back pain want imaging as a means of coping with uncertainty.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- Facilitators and barriers to deferring imaging for acute low back pain: a qualitative study.BMC primary care · 2025Article
- Dissemination Strategies for Clinical Practice Guidelines Focused on Imaging for Low Back Pain: A Scoping Review.Musculoskeletal care · 2025Article
- What do patients with lumbar spinal stenosis think is physical therapy's best card? A survey of perceived message strength.The Journal of manual & manipulative therapy · 2025Article
- Metformin for low back pain: Study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.Osteoarthritis and cartilage open · 2025Article
- Development of a Core Outcome Set of Domains to Evaluate Acute Pain Treatment After Lumbar Spine Surgery: A Modified Delphi Study.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2025Article
- The association between the site of back pain and number of painful sites with daily activities, seeking healthcare, and medication use among school adolescents.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Patient perspectives on low back pain treatment in primary care: a qualitative study of hopes, expectations, and experiences.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Article
- Implementation of back to living well, a community-based program for the tertiary prevention of low back pain: a study protocol.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2024Article
- Healthcare resource utilization for chronic low back pain among high-utilizers.The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society · 2024Article
- Telehealth delivery of physical therapist-led interventions for persons with chronic low back pain in underserved communities: lessons from pragmatic clinical trials.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Biomedical Dogmas Still Influence the Delivery of Exercise Therapy in Chronic Low Back Pain Management: Mixed-Methods Study.Patient preference and adherence · 2024Article
- Patients' requests for radiological imaging: A qualitative study on general practitioners' perspectives.Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy · 2023Article
- A Qualitative Investigation of the Psychosocial Impact of Chronic Low Back Pain in Ghana.BMJ open · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAn improved understanding of patients' perceived needs for medical services for low back pain (LBP) will enable healthcare providers to better align service provision with patient expectations, thus improving patient and health care system outcomes. Thus, we aimed to identify the existing literature regarding patients' perceived needs for medical services for LBP.
methodsA systematic scoping review was performed of publications identified from MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycINFO (1990-2016). Descriptive data regarding each study, its design and methodology were extracted and risk of bias assessed. Aggregates of patients' perceived needs for medical services for LBP were categorised.
results50 studies (35 qualitative, 14 quantitative and 1 mixed-methods study) from 1829 were relevant. Four areas of perceived need emerged: (1) Patients with LBP sought healthcare from medical practitioners to obtain a diagnosis, receive management options, sickness certification and legitimation for their LBP. However, there was dissatisfaction with the cursory and superficial approach of care. (2) Patients had concerns about pharmacotherapy, with few studies reporting on patients' preferences for medications. (3) Of the few studies which examined the patients' perceived need of invasive therapies, these found that patients avoided injections and surgeries (4) Patients desired spinal imaging for diagnostic purposes and legitimation of symptoms.
conclusionsAcross many different patient populations with data obtained from a variety of study designs, common themes emerged which highlighted areas of patient dissatisfaction with the medical management of LBP, in particular, the superficial approach to care perceived by patients and concerns regarding pharmacotherapy. Patients perceive unmet needs from medical services, including the need to obtain a diagnosis, the desire for pain control and the preference for spinal imaging. These issues need to be considered in developing approaches for the management of LBP in order to improve patient outcomes.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.