A novel movement system screen for primary care providers: a multisite, observational study.

Area of Science:

• Movement science
• Primary care research
• Diagnostic screening

Background:

• Human movement is vital for environmental interaction and quality of life.
• Movement system disorders (MSDs) stem from altered movement, trauma, or pathology.
• Early screening can prevent acute MSDs from becoming chronic, improving patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate a screening tool's accuracy for MSDs.
• Identify comorbidities predicting MSD prevalence.
• Understand patient reasons for not discussing MSDs with primary care providers (PCPs).

Main Methods:

• Multisite, observational study in primary care.
• Analysis of screening question psychometric properties.
• Logistic regression for comorbidity analysis and thematic analysis for patient-provider communication barriers.

Main Results:

• Point prevalence of MSDs was 78% with good screening tool sensitivity (70%).
• Arthritis, obesity, sleep disorders, and GERD predicted MSDs.
• Patients avoid discussing MSDs due to perceived low importance, healthcare access issues, or problem acuity.

Conclusions:

• Screening for MSDs and comorbidities can prevent acute-to-chronic transitions.
• PCPs can improve MSD screening by identifying predictors and patient-reported barriers.
• Earlier MSD identification facilitates timely treatment, reducing chronic disorder costs and disability.