Perspectives of older adults on co-management of low back pain by doctors of chiropractic and family medicine physicians: a focus group study

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Published online 2013 Sep 16. doi: 10.1186/1472-6882-13-225

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Table 5

Older adults’ recommendations regarding patient-centered communication for LBP
co-management by MDs and DCs

	MD clinic		DC clinic		Senior center			Senior housing
	M	M	D	D	C	C	C	H	H	H
	1	2	1	2	1	2	3	1	2	3
Providers should use respectful, honest communication between each other and with patients		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Provider must listen to the patient	✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Patient must let doctors know they are seeing other providers for LBP	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Providers should explain condition, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis		✓	✓		✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Patients should use their own judgment about any advice for LBP		✓	✓	✓		✓		✓	✓	✓
Providers should spend more time with patient				✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Providers should not blame LBP on the older adults’ health condition or age		✓	✓			✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
Providers should discuss pain openly with their patients					✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
MD-DC should resolve disagreements and present unified LBP approach to patient	✓				✓	✓	✓	✓
If dissatisfied with care, patient should change doctors or get another opinion	✓	✓	✓			✓		✓	✓	✓

MD = Medical Doctor.

DC = Doctor of Chiropractic.

LBP = Low back pain.

M# = Medical clinic focus group 1 or 2.

D# = Chiropractic clinic focus group 1 or 2.

C# = Senior center focus group 1, 2 or 3.

H# = Senior housing focus group 1, 2 or 3.