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Biomechanical Changes Related to Low Back Pain: An Innovative Tool for Movement Pattern Assessment and Treatment Evaluation in Rehabilitation
Published on: December 13, 2024
Comparing the impact of interactive versus traditional e-learning on physiotherapists' knowledge, attitudes, and
Antoine Fourré1,2, Jef Michielsen3, Laurence Ris1
1Department of Neurosciences, Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technology, University of Mons, Mons, Belgium.
Introduction:
Despite the recommendations to use a bio-psycho-social framework, many physiotherapists still manage their patients mainly from a biomedical point of view. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of two different e-learning interventions on knowledge, attitudes, and clinical decision-making of physiotherapists managing low back pain (LBP) to increase guideline-consistent care.
Methods:
Physiotherapists were allocated (1/1) either to an experimental or a traditional e-learning intervention. Baseline and post-intervention assessment included the Health Care Providers' Pain and Impairment Relationship Scale (HC-PAIRS), Back Pain Attitudes Questionnaire (Back-PAQ), Neurophysiology of Pain Questionnaire (NPQ), and a clinical vignette. Participants had 2 weeks to complete the post-intervention assessment. Statistics were processed using ANCOVA and Fisher's t-tests.
Results:
Four hundred nineteen physiotherapists were included in the analysis. Mean scores of HC-PAIRS, Back-PAQ, and NPQ significantly improved post-intervention in both groups. There was a significant effect of the intervention type (experimental versus traditional) on the scores of HC-PAIRS (p < .001; η2p = .243) and Back-PAQ (p < .001; η2p = .135) but not on NPQ scores. Return to work, recommendations assessed with the clinical vignette were significantly more guideline-consistent in the experimental group (p < .001) post-intervention.
Conclusion:
An interactive e-learning intervention which includes concrete clinical examples and focused on patient's reassurance, self-management, and importance of screening psycho-social factors had more impact than a traditional e-learning intervention to enhance physiotherapists' knowledge, attitudes, and clinical decision-making regarding LBP.
