Guidelines for Chronic Back Pain: An Education Module for Health Providers

Effective chronic back pain management and patient self-care guidelines are necessary for healthcare providers treating patients with complaints of low back pain (LBP). The purpose of this doctoral project was to provide an evidence-based educational program aimed at improving the knowledge and skills of healthcare professionals regarding the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and American Chronic Pain Association (ACPA) guidelines, emphasizing alternative pain management treatments. The staff education project was supported by the biomedical pain model and chronic care model. A panel of 3 experts including the clinic’s board-certified anesthesiologist and pain management specialist, clinical manager, and leading medical director were asked to evaluate the educational program for content and applicability in the clinical setting. Experts all agreed that accurate and up-to-date education content in the staff education program was ready to share with healthcare providers treating patients with chronic back pain in a rural health clinic located in the western United States. After the expert panel evaluation, the program was presented to 36 clinic staff, including physicians and nurse practitioners. A pre/post evaluation was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the program and knowledge of participants before and after the program. Results showed that 35 participants agreed to strongly agreed the education content was useful and informative and all 36 participants agreed or strongly agreed content on the pain management guidelines was clear and concise. Implications for social change included provider knowledge of effective treatment methods for chronic back pain management and the potential for improved patient outcomes through nonpharmacological and non-opioid management.