One-Page Patient Fact Sheets for Low Back Pain in Primary Care: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Primary Care
• Health Communication
• Shared Decision-Making

Background:

• Informed decision-making is crucial in primary care for low back pain (LBP).
• Two common approaches involve providing fact sheets with management information or self-management advice.
• The comparative effectiveness of these fact sheet types for LBP is not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the impact of 1-page fact sheets on patient-reported preparedness for shared decision-making in individuals with low back pain.

Main Methods:

• A 2-group parallel randomized clinical trial involving 1080 adults with recent uncomplicated low back pain.
• Participants received either a 1-page information sheet on management options or a 1-page advice sheet on self-management.
• Preparedness for decision-making was assessed immediately post-intervention using the Preparation for Decision Making scale.

Main Results:

• The information sheet group reported higher preparedness for decision-making (mean difference, 4.7 points; P=.01) compared to the advice sheet group.
• A significantly greater effect was noted in participants with chronic LBP.
• No significant differences were found in intentions to use recommended or non-recommended interventions between groups.

Conclusions:

• A 1-page information sheet listing management options was more effective than a self-management advice sheet in enhancing patient preparedness for shared decision-making in low back pain.
• The clinical meaningfulness of this enhanced preparedness remains uncertain.