Informing low back pain care from the ground up: survey of national musculoskeletal triage physiotherapists in Ireland

Background: Healthcare is changing to meet the challenge of a rising musculoskeletal burden associated with the expanding, aging population. Clinicians, important stakeholders in healthcare provision, have crucial insights into service improvement, but clinician consultation is a shortcoming in healthcare development. In Ireland, specialist physiotherapist-led musculoskeletal (MSK) triage services operate at the primary-secondary care interface to expedite patient care.

Objectives: To inform future development of low back pain (LBP) care in Ireland through profiling the operationalisation of the national MSK triage service for LBP, including access, referral management, clinical investigations, onward referral options, access to multidisciplinary team (MDT) services and integration with primary healthcare services.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study using a bespoke, anonymous electronic survey.

Participants: Thirty-eight clinical specialist physiotherapists working in national programme Irish MSK triage services.

Results: Thirty-eight MSK Triage physiotherapists submitted responses (response rate 72%). There was considerable site-dependent variation in LBP service provision, with discrepancies in access to triage services, wait times, referral processing and prioritisation, access to clinical investigations and onward referral options. Most respondents (81%) reported wait times exceeding the three-month target; 75% reported that the level of clinical autonomy associated with their role limited service efficiency; 75% were dissatisfied with primary-secondary care service integration. Respondents identified insufficient availability of primary care multidisciplinary services.

Conclusion: Lack of standardisation of LBP services exists in Ireland. Services would benefit from improved standardisation, reduced wait times, national accreditation and a defined scope of advanced physiotherapy practice and the development of nationwide community multidisciplinary infrastructure with enhanced interservice communication.