BACKGROUND

Low back pain is a major global cause of disability, typically treated through traditional onsite rehabilitation. However, the advancement of telerehabilitation during the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to examine its effectiveness as a treatment option for low back pain. This study aims to seek and explore the experiences and perspectives of healthcare professionals about onsite or online management of LBP.

METHODS

The study will employ a phenomenological qualitative study design that will use quota sampling to recruit a total of 16 participants, equally distributed among rehabilitation doctors, physical therapists, barangay healthworkers, and patients with low back pain, coming from hospitals and centers affiliated with the University of Santo Tomas in Metro Manila. Key informant interviews that follow a semi-structured interview format will be conducted either on-site or online, depending on the preference of the invited informant. The NVivo data analysis software will be utilized to produce codes and outline themes from the gathered data.

EXPECTED RESULTS

The research is expected to highlight the nuanced interplay between individual viewpoints and contextual factors that influence decision-making in rehabilitation settings, besides identifying these themes. Findings will be instrumental in informing best practices for managing low back pain, thereby helping physical therapists determine the most effective treatment approach—whether through telerehabilitation or traditional on-site care. The study can provide actionable recommendations through grounding the implications of the analysis to the anticipated findings that might affect the rehabilitation practices and patient outcomes in the Philippines.

Human ; Low Back Pain

BACKGROUND: Prior to developing a community-based rehabilitation program, there is a need to conduct a needs assessment to identify the factors that may affect the quality of life (QOL) in a community. However, after reviewing related literature, no community needs assessment tools were readily accessible and were directed toward the target population and research locale of this study. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to develop and validate a questionnaire that assesses the needs of selected barangays in Binangonan, Rizal as part of the first phase of the PRECEDE-PROCEED model. METHODS: A purposive sampling method will be utilized in recruiting via email a panel of experts, consisting of five content experts and five lay experts, to evaluate the researcher-developed questionnaire’s content validity. Content validity will be assessed through evaluation of the tool’s grammar, choice of words, question construction, and scoring of items. The data will then be analyzed by a statistician using content validity ratio (CVR) and content validity index (CVI) where questions may be retained, revised, or eliminated. EXPECTED RESULTS The study expects to produce a content-validated questionnaire in English consisting of four dimensions: social, epidemiological, educational, and administrative/policy. For an item to be considered valid, scores for CVR and CVI should be equal to or greater than the cut-off values. The information from the questionnaire may be utilized by healthcare professionals aiming to improve the QOL in the community.