Utilization of Low Back Pain Patient Reported Outcome Measures Within Chiropractic Literature: A Descriptive Review

Area of Science:

• Chiropractic Research
• Evidence-Based Practice
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Low back pain (LBP) is a prevalent condition requiring effective outcome measurement.
• Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) are crucial for assessing LBP treatment efficacy.
• Standardization of PROMs in chiropractic literature is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify the most frequently reported and utilized LBP PROMs in chiropractic publications.
• To analyze the temporal and methodological characteristics of LBP PROM publications.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature search across 5 major electronic databases.
• Inclusion of English-language publications from database inception to June 2016.
• Extraction and analysis of data on LBP PROMs utilized.

Main Results:

• 144 articles were reviewed, employing 75 distinct LBP PROMs.
• The Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was the most common PROM.
• Other frequently used PROMs included the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and Roland Morris Questionnaire (RMQ).

Conclusions:

• This study provides a definitive list of the most utilized LBP PROMs within chiropractic literature.
• Findings can inform future research and clinical practice regarding outcome measurement in LBP.