ArticleBMC primary care2026
Insights into the proportion of consultations for musculoskeletal disorders in Dutch general practice: a register-based retrospective cohort study.
Article in BMC primary care, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Yonder.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundGeneral practice care is facing increasing pressure due to a sustained rise in healthcare utilization, partly driven by population ageing and the growing prevalence of chronic conditions, such as musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Existing evidence reports wide variation in the proportion of GP consultations related to MSDs, while data specific to Dutch primary care remain scarce. The purpose of the study is to estimate the proportion of consultations for MSDs in Dutch general practice, stratified by age categories, sex, and anatomical region.
methodsA retrospective cohort study was performed using data from the Integrated Primary Care Information database, comprising routinely collected electronic health records of over 2.5 million patients. The study included individuals of all ages between 2017 and 2023. The proportion of consultations attributed to each International Classification of Primary Care (ICPC) chapter was determined, with MSDs identified using ICPC L chapter codes.
resultsAcross the study period, annual consultations ranged from 7.5 to 9.3 million. MSDs accounted for 11.3-12.6% of all consultations, representing the leading reason for consultation in Dutch general practice. Lower limb disorders were most frequent (31.0 -33.1%), followed by upper limb (17,9 - 20,3%) and back (21,3 - 22,9%) disorders. Females accounted for approximately 60% of MSD consultations, with the highest proportions observed among individuals aged 55-64 years (18.6-19.0%) and ≥75 years (17.6-20.3%).
conclusionsMSDs is the overall leading contributor to consultation volume in Dutch general practice, particularly among females and older adults. As population ageing continues, MSD-related consultations are likely to increase further, underscoring the need for efficient workforce planning and sustainable models of GP care delivery.
Indexed as
Identifiers
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.