{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,12,15]],"date-time":"2025-12-15T19:29:19Z","timestamp":1765826959197,"version":"3.48.0"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,5]],"date-time":"2022-09-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1662336000000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":4,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Portuguese Science & Technology Foundation\/Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","award":["SFRH\/BD\/145636\/2019"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SFRH\/BD\/145636\/2019"]}]},{"name":"Portuguese Science & Technology Foundation\/Funda\u00e7\u00e3o para a Ci\u00eancia e Tecnologia","award":["UIDP\/04923\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UIDP\/04923\/2020"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2022,8,16]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2022,9]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To estimate the prevalence of medical care-seeking among adults with low back pain (LBP) and to characterise and compare use of diagnostic procedures and medical management between primary and secondary care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Cross-sectional study.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Setting<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Data from the EpiReumaPt, a nationwide population-based study conducted in Portugal including a representative sample of non-institutionalised adults (n=10 661) stratified by administrative territorial units was analysed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Participants<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Individuals who self-reported history of LBP within the previous 12 months (n=6434) and sought medical care for this problem in the same period (n=2618).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Outcome measures<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Patients\u2019 self-reported diagnostic workup and management procedures performed by medical care for LBP collected through a structured questionnaire. Medical care procedures were stratified by level of care.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The prevalence of medical care-seeking for LBP was 38.0% (95% CI 35.9% to 40.1%). Primary care in isolation (45.3%) was the most sought level of care. Emergency departments (25.9%) and orthopaedics (19.4%) were the most sought secondary medical specialties. Several pathoanatomical diagnoses were used, supported by laboratory or imaging tests (91.1%). Disc herniation (20.4%) and osteoarthritis (19.7%) were the most frequent diagnoses, and X-ray (63.7%) was the most frequent diagnostic procedure self-reported by individuals. Most (75.1%) reported being treated for LBP: 80.4% with oral medication and 49.9% with injectables. The mean duration of pharmacological treatment was 104.24 (SD, 266.80) days. The use of pathoanatomical diagnoses, laboratory or imaging tests, and pharmacological treatments were generally more frequent for secondary care (p&lt;0.05). Approximately one-quarter of individuals (24.5%) reported seeking care from additional healthcare providers, physiotherapists (66.9%) were the most frequent.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Medical care for LBP is frequent and associated with high levels of pathoanatomical diagnoses, imaging and laboratory tests and pharmacological therapy in both primary and secondary care settings. Funding and delivery actions should be prioritised to assure appropriate care for LBP.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2022-060966","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,5]],"date-time":"2022-09-05T12:12:01Z","timestamp":1662379921000},"page":"e060966","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Patients\u2019 self-reported medical care for low back pain: a nationwide population-based study"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4359-0122","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lu\u00eds Antunes","family":"Gomes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"EpiDoC Unit, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1812-1815","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Eduardo Brazete","family":"Cruz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Departamento de Fisioterapia, Escola Superior de Sa\u00fade, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico de Set\u00fabal, Setubal, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana Rita","family":"Henriques","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"EpiDoC Unit, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jaime C","family":"Branco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"EpiDoC Unit, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Servi\u00e7o de Reumatologia do Hospital Egas Moniz, Centro Hospitalar Lisboa Ocidental (CHLO-EPE), Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Helena","family":"Canh\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"EpiDoC Unit, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ana Maria","family":"Rodrigues","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"EpiDoC Unit, NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal"},{"name":"Unidade de Reumatologia, Hospital dos Lus\u00edadas, Lisbon, Portugal"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,9,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025121511253246000_12.9.e060966.1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(20)30925-9"},{"key":"2025121511253246000_12.9.e060966.2","article-title":"Global low back pain prevalence and years lived with disability from 1990 to 2017: estimates from the global burden of disease study 2017","volume":"8","author":"Wu","year":"2020","journal-title":"Ann Transl Med"},{"key":"2025121511253246000_12.9.e060966.3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(16)30970-9"},{"key":"2025121511253246000_12.9.e060966.4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1503\/cmaj.111271"},{"key":"2025121511253246000_12.9.e060966.5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(18)30480-X"},{"key":"2025121511253246000_12.9.e060966.6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(18)30488-4"},{"key":"2025121511253246000_12.9.e060966.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2368","DOI":"10.1016\/S0140-6736(18)30489-6","article-title":"Prevention and treatment of low back pain: evidence, challenges, and promising directions","volume":"391","author":"Foster","year":"2018","journal-title":"Lancet"},{"key":"2025121511253246000_12.9.e060966.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2471\/blt.18.226050"},{"key":"2025121511253246000_12.9.e060966.9","unstructured":"UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence . 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