Assessment of Family Medicine Research Assistants’ Knowledge Level About Low Back Pain Approach in Primary Care

Objective: Low back pain is the fifth most common reason for visiting a family physician. Only in the 15% of the patients there is a reason to explain the reason for low back pain. This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge of the family medicine research assistants’ approach to the low back pain in primary care.
Methods: The universe of this descriptive cross-sectional study consisted of 161 family medicine research assistants in İzmir. After obtaining written consent, a questionnaire consisting of 20 questions evaluating their demographic information, general information about low back pain, physical examination findings and clinical information was applied to the participants. Statistical analysis of data was performed using SPSS version 22.
Results: A total of 114 assistants were included in the study with a mean age of 29.18±3.020 years. Twenty three (20.2%) of them had made the physical treatment and rehabilitation rotation while with the increase in working years as a physician the number of correct answers is decreasing. The number of correct answers increased with the increase in the working years in the family medicine specialization program and with rotation in physical treatment and rehabilitation. There was no statistically significant difference between the correct answers given according to the profession, year in the specialization program and physical treatment and rehabilitation rotation (p>0.05).
Conclusion: Family medicine research assistants should be encouraged to perform physical therapy and rehabilitation rotation, and physicians should be provided vocational training at certain periods after their graduation.