Research reports from L. Walsh and co-authors provide new insights into occupational health
December 8th, 2008
2008 DEC 8 -- " Audit is an important facet of clinical governance and good occupational health practice. There are well-established clinical guidelines for the management of low back pain," scientists writing in the journal Occupational Medicine - Oxford report.
"Occupational Health Guidelines for the Management of Low Back Pain at Work were launched by the Faculty of Occupational Medicine in March 2000, based on an extensive, systematic review of the scientific literature predominantly from occupational settings or concerning occupational outcomes. To determine whether documented National Health Service occupational health assessment of low back pain in the North West region of U.K. conforms to the published guidelines. A retrospective audit of case notes was conducted. Six performance indicators were derived from the Occupational Health Guidelines for the Management of Low Back Pain at Work in order to evaluate the performance by occupational physicians. Two hundred and seventy-seven case notes were identified from eight different occupational health departments. Low rates of compliance with national standards were observed for recording of some performance indicators, notably for the assessment and documentation of 'red' and 'yellow flags'. Our findings suggest that the quality of documentation of key information in the notes leaves significant room for improvement. For future audits, we recommend having two external auditors and seek to demonstrate a high degree of agreement between observers by conducting a reproducibility exercise," wrote L. Walsh and colleagues.
The researchers concluded: "Future Faculty guidelines should emphasize documentation of the assessment and perhaps consider assessment tools to improve documentation."
Walsh and colleagues published their study in Occupational Medicine - Oxford (Do occupational health assessments match guidelines for low back pain? Occupational Medicine - Oxford, 2008;58(7):485-489).
Additional information can be obtained by contacting L. Walsh, N Manchester Group Hospital, Mediscreen Occupational Health Service, Delaunays Rd., Manchester M8 5RB, Lancs, UK.
The publisher of the journal Occupational Medicine - Oxford can be contacted at: Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon St., Oxford OX2 6DP, England.
Keywords: United Kingdom, Manchester, Back Pain Relief, Lower Back Pain, Occupational Health, Occupational Medicine, Regulatory Actions.
This article was prepared by Pain & Central Nervous System Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2008, Pain & Central Nervous System Week via NewsRx.com.
