PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Albahlal, Jarallah M.
AU  - Alhandi, Ali A.
AU  - Aldihan, Khalid A.
AU  - Alsultan, Odai H.
AU  - Alhusain, Faisal A.
AU  - Alqahtani, Hanadi M.
AU  - Aleissa, Sami I.
TI  - Primary healthcare physicians’ adherence to acute lower back pain referral guidelines in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
AID  - 10.15537/smj.2018.8.22539
DP  - 2018 Aug 01
TA  - Saudi Medical Journal
PG  - 838--841
VI  - 39
IP  - 8
4099  - http://smj.org.sa/content/39/8/838.short
4100  - http://smj.org.sa/content/39/8/838.full
SO  - Saudi Med J2018 Aug 01; 39
AB  - Objectives: To assess the primary healthcare physicians’ adherence to referral guidelines for acute low back pain and if there is any association with experience level.Methods: A cross-sectional study held in Tertiary care hospital, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires were distributed in-person between October 2017 and January 2018 among 100 primary healthcare physicians, with a 79% response rate.Results: The distribution between male to female was 43%-57%. Twenty-five percent of physicians encounter 1-5 patients weekly, while 28% encounter more than 15 patients. The physicians included had a higher than expected adherence to referral guidelines with percentages ranging between 63-94% referral rates for back pain related red flags. A trend was noted where there was an increase in referral decisions with increased experience when encountering red flags. More experienced physicians were more likely to refer when encountering; pain worse after prolonged sitting, limited mobility, and pain worse while coughing or sneezing (p<0.05).Conclusion: Primary healthcare physicians working in one health system in Riyadh had a higher than expected adherence to referral guidelines for back pain related red flags.