Safety, efficacy, and cost effectiveness of evidence-based guidelines for the management of acute low back pain in primary care.
METHODS
A case-control study involving parallel benchmarking audits was conducted.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the safety, efficacy, and cost effectiveness of evidence-based medical care and usual care for acute low back pain.


BACKGROUND
Although several sets of guidelines have been promoted for the management of acute low back pain, there is no evidence that following guidelines results in better outcomes.


METHODS
Special clinics were established, at which trained medical practitioners managed patients with acute low back pain according to evidence-based guidelines. Their outcomes were audited by independent research nurses. Meanwhile, and separately, the outcomes of patients managed by their own general practitioners were audited by research nurses using the same instruments of assessment.


RESULTS
In both settings, patients showed remarkable degrees and rates of recovery, with low rates of recurrence. However, evidence-based medical care resulted in a significantly lower cost of treatment; a significantly greater reduction in pain, sustained at both 6 and 12 months; significantly fewer patients requiring continuing care at 3, 6, and 12 months; a significantly greater proportion of patients fully recovered at 12 months; and significantly greater proportions of patients rating their treatment as extremely helpful and offering positive, unsolicited comments about their treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
The immediate results from evidence-based care are marginally better than those from good usual care, but in the long term, evidence-based care achieves clinically and statistically significant gains, with fewer patients requiring continuing care and remaining in pain. Consumers approve of evidence-based care.
McGuirk
B
B
Bone and Joint Institute, Royal Newcastle Hospital, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, New South Wales 2300, Australia.
King
W
W
Govind
J
J
Lowry
J
J
Bogduk
N
N
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D019985:Benchmarking; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000191:economics* / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D017048:Health Care Costs; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012449:Safety; D016896:Treatment Outcome