Dissemination Strategies for Clinical Practice Guidelines Focused on Imaging for Low Back Pain: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Public Health

Background:

• Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) aim to standardize care.
• Appropriate imaging for low back pain (LBP) is a key area for CPGs.
• Effective dissemination of these guidelines is crucial for implementation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate campaigns for disseminating CPGs on appropriate LBP imaging.
• To identify and categorize dissemination strategies used in these campaigns.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted.
• Searches included multiple databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Scopus, etc.) and websites.
• 26 resources were included after screening 1087 initial resources.

Main Results:

• Campaigns were identified at regional and national levels, with few international efforts.
• Dissemination strategies included educational resources, presentations, interactive interventions, media, and clinical decision support.
• Educational resources and interactive interventions were the most frequent strategies; media was least common.

Conclusions:

• Existing campaigns primarily target regional and national audiences.
• A comprehensive list of strategies provides a foundation for future campaign design.
• Future campaigns should consider clinical complexities and the need for change management.