Primary Care Physical Therapists' Experiences When Screening for Serious Pathologies Among Their Patients: A Qualitative Study.

Objective: A vital part of the initial examination performed by a physical therapist is to establish whether the patient would benefit from physical therapist intervention. This process includes knowledge about contraindications for treatment and screening for serious pathologies. However, little is known about the physical therapists' views and thoughts about their own practice when screening for serious pathologies.

Appropriateness of referrals from primary care for lumbar MRI.

Background: International guidelines do not recommend routine imaging, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and seek to guide clinicians only to refer for imaging based on specific indications. Despite this, several studies show an increase in the use of MRI among patients with low back pain (LBP) and an imbalance between appropriate versus inappropriate use of MRI for LBP. This study aimed to investigate to what extent referrals from general practice for lumbar MRI complied with clinical guideline recommendations in a Danish setting, contributing to the understanding and approaches to lumbar MRI for all clinicians managing LBP in the primary sector.

A cost-minimisation analysis of performing point-of-care ultrasonography on patients with vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy in general practice: a decision analytical model.

Background: Spotting and light vaginal bleeding are common and usually harmless symptoms in early pregnancy. Still, vaginal bleeding may be the first sign of an abortion and often causes distress to pregnant women and leads to an expectation of an ultrasonography examination of the uterus. As point-of-care ultrasonography (POCUS) is increasingly being integrated into general practice, these patients may be clinically evaluated and managed by general practitioners (GPs).

Primary care physiotherapists ability to make correct management decisions - is there room for improvement? A mixed method study.

Background: With increasing interest in direct access to physiotherapy, it is important to consider the physiotherapists (PTs) ability to make correct management decisions, because identification of differential diagnostic pathologies and timely referral for specialist care is vital for patient safety. The aims of the study were to investigate PTs ability to make correct management decisions in patients presenting with musculoskeletal conditions and to identify explanatory factors associated with this ability. Furthermore, we wanted to explore the PTs views on the identified factors.

The prevalence of serious pathology in musculoskeletal physiotherapy patients - a nationwide register-based cohort study.

Introduction: Musculoskeletal conditions are the single largest contributor to years lived with disability worldwide. Most musculoskeletal conditions can be managed in primary care, but for a small proportion of these patients the symptoms are caused by serious pathology. Although the general practitioner usually performs initial screening for serious pathology, evaluation and treatment by physiotherapists are often part of the treatment pathway.

Categorisation of lumbar spine MRI referrals in Denmark as compliant or non-compliant to international imaging guidelines: an inter-rater reliability study.

Background: Managing low back pain (LBP) often involves MRI despite the fact that international guidelines do not recommend routine imaging. To allow us to explore the topic and use this knowledge in further research, a reliable method to review the MRI referrals is needed. Consequently, this study aimed to assess the inter-rater reliability of a method evaluating lumbar spine MRI referrals' appropriateness.

The effects of the extended physiotherapy examination scheme for patients with low-back pain.

Introduction: The extended physiotherapy examination scheme (EES) was developed to assist general practitioners in their assessment of patients with complex low-back pain (LBP). The aim was to compare LBP patients in the EES and patients in current physiotherapy practice (CP) with respect to characteristics, healthcare utilisation and sick leave.

Methods: Data from three cohorts were included, one covering the EES and two covering CP for LBP patients in Danish primary care physiotherapy.