Understanding general practitioners' prescribing choices to patients with chronic low back pain: a discrete choice experiment.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although NSAIDs are recommended as a first line analgesic treatment, opioids are very commonly prescribed to patients with low back pain (LBP) despite risks of harms.

Aim

This study aimed to determine factors contributing to general practitioners' (GPs') prescribing choices to patients with chronic LBP in a primary care setting.

Method

This discrete choice experiment (DCE) presented 210 GPs with hypothetical scenarios of a patient with chronic LBP. Participants chose their preferred treatment for each choice set, either the opioid, NSAID or neither. The scenarios varied by two patient attributes; non-specific LBP or LBP with referred leg pain (sciatica) and number of comorbidities. The three treatment attributes also varied, being: the type of opioid or NSA

SUBMITTER: Hamilton M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10831024 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature