The influence of an educational internet-based intervention in the beliefs and attitudes of primary care professionals on non-specific chronic low back pain: study protocol of a mixed methods approach

Ester García-Martínez, Jorge Soler-González, Francesc Rubí-Carnacea, Beatriz García-Martínez, Carolina Climent-Sanz, Joan Blanco-Blanco, Fran Valenzuela-Pascual, Ester García-Martínez, Jorge Soler-González, Francesc Rubí-Carnacea, Beatriz García-Martínez, Carolina Climent-Sanz, Joan Blanco-Blanco, Fran Valenzuela-Pascual

Abstract

Background: Personal convictions in referral to pain cause misbeliefs in health professionals, which can influence patients who suffer from non-specific chronic low back pain. Likewise, health professionals' beliefs affect their advice and attitudes towards patients' treatment, becoming a possible cause of greater disability. The development of educational interventions based on the best scientific evidence in neurophysiology of pain could be a way to provide information and advice to primary care health professionals to change their cognition towards chronic non-specific low back pain. The use of Information and Communication Technologies allows the development of web sites, which might be one of the effective resources to modify misbeliefs and attitudes, in relation to the origin and meaning of non-specific chronic low back pain, of primary care professionals and that may modify their attitudes in patients' treatment.

Methods: The aim of this project is to identify misbeliefs and attitudes of primary care physicians and nurses about chronic non-specific low back pain to develop a web-based educational tool using different educational formats and gamification techniques. This study has a mixed-method sequential exploratory design. The participants are medical and nursing staff working in primary care centers in the city of Lleida, Spain. For the qualitative phase of this study, the authors will use personal semi-structured interviews. For the quantitative phase the authors will use an experimental study design. Subjects will be randomly allocated using a simple random sample technique. The intervention group will have access to the web site where they will find information related to non-specific chronic low back pain, based on the information obtained in the qualitative phase. The control group will have access to a video explaining the clinical practice guidelines on low back pain.

Discussion: This study has been designed to explore and modify the beliefs and attitudes about chronic low back pain of physicians and nurses working in primary care settings, using a web-based educational tool with different educational formats and gamification techniques. The aim of the educational intervention is to change their knowledge about the origin and meaning of pain, with the result of reducing their misbeliefs and attitudes of fear avoidance.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02962817 . Date of registration: 11/09/2016.

Keywords: Chronic pain; Education professional; Educational technology; Gamification; Health personnel; Low Back pain; Pain neurophysiology; Primary health care.

Conflict of interest statement

Ethics approval and consent to participate

This research protocol follows the “Standards of Good Clinical Practice (CPMP / ICH / 135/95)” and the Declaration of Helsinki. In addition, the study was approved by the University Institute for Primary Care Research (IDIAP), Clinical Research Ethics Committee in Catalonia, Spain (P14 / 138), and authorized by the PC director and PC research manager.

Participants should sign the informed consent for their inclusion in the study. The first author will individually inform the HP about the study procedure, the use of data by the authors and the laws that protect their rights. Access and use of the web-based educational tool will be subject to the “Organic Law of Data Protection”.

Due to the fact that our intervention does not involve any physical action, no side effects and / or adverse reactions are expected.

Consent for publication

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Publisher’s Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

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