How effective is the acute low back pain screening questionnaire for predicting 1-year follow-up in patients with low back pain?
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate potential associations between the Acute Low Back Pain Screening Questionnaire (ALBPSQ), a biopsychosocial screening instrument for identifying patients at risk of chronicity, and relevant variables at 1-year follow-up in a cohort of patients with low back pain.


METHODS
A 1-year prospective study was conducted in which patients who had previously received treatment in the Northern Ireland National Health Service (n = 118) were requested to complete a follow-up questionnaire package of pain and functional disability measures and a patient-centered questionnaire of seven variables considered relevant from the patient's perspective.


METHODS
Ninety patients (76% response rate) returned the completed questionnaire package.


RESULTS
The ALBPSQ total score and cutoff score of 112 were significantly positively associated with the pain and functional disability questionnaire scores at follow-up but did not significantly discriminate for difference scores on these measures. Although six of the seven patient-centered variables were significantly associated with the screening questionnaire total score, the cutoff score was strongly predictive of only one variable (work loss) and failed to demonstrate high levels of sensitivity for other variables (i.e., medication use, additional treatment, poor exercise participation).


CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study demonstrate that scores on the ALBPSQ were positively correlated with patients' levels of pain and functional disability at 1-year follow-up and correctly classified all patients reporting some degree of work loss but had minimal predictive strength for the other patient-centered variables evaluated.
Hurley
D A
DA
Rehabilitation Sciences Research Group, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences and Education, University of Ulster at Jordanstown, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK. dh.hurley@ulst.ac.uk
Dusoir
T E
TE
McDonough
S M
SM
Moore
A P
AP
Baxter
G D
GD
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*