title: Patients' Attitudes Toward Nonphysician Screening of Low Back and Low Back Related Leg Pain Complaints Referred for Surgical Assessment.
abstract: METHODS
  A questionnaire survey.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to explore patient attitudes toward screening to assess suitability for low back surgery by nonphysician health care providers.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Canadian spine surgeons have shown support for nonphysician screening to assess and triage patients with low back pain and low back related leg pain. However, patients' attitudes toward this proposed model are largely unknown.
  
  
  METHODS
  We administered a 19-item cross-sectional survey to adults with low back and/or low back related leg pain who were referred for elective surgical assessment at one of five spine surgeons' clinics in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The survey inquired about demographics, expectations regarding wait time for surgical consultation, as well as willingness to pay, travel, and be screened by nonphysician health care providers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eighty low back patients completed our survey, for a response rate of 86.0% (80 of 93). Most respondents (72.5%; 58 of 80) expected to be seen by a surgeon within 3 months of referral, and 88.8% (71 of 80) indicated willingness to undergo screening with a nonphysician health care provider to establish whether they were potentially a surgical candidate. Half of respondents (40 of 80) were willing to travel >50 km for assessment by a nonphysician health care provider, and 46.2% were willing to pay out-of-pocket (25.6% were unsure). However, most respondents (70.0%; 56 of 80) would still want to see a surgeon if they were ruled out as a surgical candidate, and written comments from respondents revealed concern regarding agreement between surgeons' and nonphysicians' determination of surgical candidates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients referred for surgical consultation for low back or low back related leg pain are largely willing to accept screening by nonphysician health care providers. Future research should explore the concordance of screening results between surgeon and nonphysician health care providers.
  
  
  METHODS
  3.
authors.affiliation: Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Joshua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rempel
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Pain Research and Care, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Jason W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Busse
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Orthopedic Surgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Drew
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Kesava
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Reddy
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Aleksa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cenic
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Edward
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kachur
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Neurosurgery, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Naresh
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Murty
authors.affiliation: University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.|Oakville Trafalgar Memorial Hospital, Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Henry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Candelaria
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Ainsley E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.|Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Riva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010146:Pain / Q000209:etiology; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires