Affiliations: School of Physiotherapy and Performance Science, University College Dublin, Ireland | Physiotherapy Department, St Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
Note: [] Correspondence to: Dr Caitriona Cunningham. Email: [email protected]
Abstract: Background: St Vincent's Working Backs Project (WBP) represents one of the first comprehensive strategies for the implementation of the UK guidelines for the management of LBP in the workplace. From the experiences of this project which ran over four years, the aims of this paper are: to identify barriers and facilitators in the implementation of the UK occupational LBP guidelines, and to devise a series of recommendations for organisations wishing to implement a guideline-based occupational LBP management strategy The main findings of the WBP are published elsewhere. Methods: The WBP had three key phases which ran between 2003 and 2007; baseline, intervention and evaluation. Participant observation research methods were utilised and data sources included pre and post intervention staff, clinician and line manager surveys, project leader organisational review and progress notes, minutes of meetings, and email communications. Conclusions: Barriers and facilitators of change were identified leading to the development of a series of recommendations for organisations wishing to implement guideline based LBP management strategies within work organisations.
Keywords: Low back pain, workplace, occupational guidelines, barriers, facilitators
