The Global Spine Care Initiative: methodology, contributors, and disclosures

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Public Health
• Orthopedics

Background:

• Spine-related disorders pose a significant global health challenge.
• There is a need for a practical, sustainable, and evidence-based healthcare model for spinal care.
• Global representation is crucial for developing effective worldwide strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the contributors, disclosures, and transparency methods of the Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI).
• To outline the development process for evidence-based recommendations on spinal care.
• To ensure a transparent approach in establishing a global healthcare model for spine-related disorders.

Main Methods:

• Convening the Global Spine Care Initiative (GSCI) with international experts.
• Conducting a series of meetings to establish the initiative's mission and goals.
• Utilizing electronic surveys to gather contributorship, demographic, and experiential data on spinal conditions.

Main Results:

• Sixty-eight clinicians and scientists from 34 countries participated.
• Participants had diverse experiences with various spinal conditions, including pain, trauma, and deformity.
• No substantial conflicts of interest were reported among the GSCI participants.

Conclusions:

• The GSCI participants possess broad professional experience and international distribution.
• The developed recommendations have the potential to inform and improve global spine care.
• Transparency in contributor disclosures and methods was maintained throughout the recommendation development.