Models of care for low back pain patients in primary healthcare: a scoping review protocol.

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is the most prevalent musculoskeletal condition worldwide and it is responsible for high healthcare costs and resources consumption. It represents a challenge for primary care services that struggle to implement evidence-based practice. Models of care (MoCs) are arising as effective solutions to overcome this problem, leading to better health outcomes. Although there is growing evidence regarding MoCs for the management of LBP patients, an analysis of the existing body of evidence has not yet been carried out. Therefore, this scoping review aims to identify and map the current evidence about the implementation of MoCs for LBP in primary healthcare. Findings from this study will inform policy makers, health professionals and researchers about their characteristics and outcomes, guiding future research and best practice models.

Methods And Analysis: This protocol will follow the Joanna Briggs Institute methodological guidelines for scoping reviews. Studies that implemented an MoC for LBP patients in primary healthcare will be included. Searches will be conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PEDro, Scopus, Web of Science, grey literature databases and relevant organisations websites. This review will consider records from 2000, written in English, Portuguese or Spanish. Two researchers will independently screen all citations and full-text articles and abstract data. Data extracted will include the identification of the MoC, key elements of the intervention, organisational components, context-specific factors and patient-related, system-related and implementation-related outcomes.

Ethics And Dissemination: As a secondary analysis, this study does not require ethical approval. It will provide a comprehensive understanding on existing MoCs for LBP, outcomes and context-related challenges that may influence implementation in primary healthcare, which is meaningful knowledge to inform future research in this field. Findings will be disseminated through research papers in peer-reviewed journals, presentations at relevant conferences and documentation for professional organisations and stakeholders.