Implementation Guide for PHNs - Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard
Low back pain activities and resources for Primary Health Networks (PHNs) to support local services and clinicians using the Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard.
Primary Health Networks (PHNs) can play a key role in improving care for people with low back pain.
By supporting local clinicians and healthcare services to implement the care described in the Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard, PHNs will contribute to:
- Reduced disability and need for ongoing care
- Improvements in the extent and rate of recovery for people with low back pain
- Reductions in the unnecessary use of imaging
- More appropriate use of opioids and other medicines.
Primary Health Networks (PHNs) are ideally placed to help bring about improvements in care for people with low back pain and address variations in care at a local level. The following activities and resources are recommended for PHNs supporting local services and clinicians to implement the Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard.
| Social media content | Promote the Low Back Pain Clinical Care Standard and the new RACGP GP education module using our campaign materials which includes Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn posts you can adopt or adapt for your region. |
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| Newsletter content | Publish an article using the sample newsletter content from the campaign materials. Consider incorporating a local patient story, or interview with a local clinician. |
| HealthPathways | Encourage your local HealthPathways program to prioritise the localisation or review of low back pain pathways to ensure they reflect the care described in the standard and incorporate available resources for consumers and clinicians. |
| Multidisciplinary education sessions | Consider engaging local clinical expertise – e.g. a physiotherapist, or psychologist with pain management expertise – to facilitate an education session using the presentation for clinicians provided. Incorporate information on local pathways and services to increase relevance and engagement. |
| Website content and videos | Host our freely available resources and links on the PHN website as/if appropriate – such as links to implementation resources including GP education module, a Quick Guide for General Practitioners, brief educational videos for clinicians and a consumer story illustrating the importance of the care described in the standard. |
| Disseminate through your networks | Identify local initiatives and networks that may benefit from learning more about the standard and target communications accordingly – e.g. chronic pain initiatives or musculoskeletal or allied health networks. |
| Feature in clinical forums | Show our brief educational videos for clinicians and our consumer story at relevant clinician forums to generate discussion about local quality improvement. |
Download a PDF version of the guide
2023
Fact sheet or brochure