Knowledge, Expectations and Satisfaction Survey of Patients with Low Back Pain in a Family Practice Clinic at a Teaching Hospital, in Karachi

Introduction: "Non-specific LBP" is the term used when an organic etiology is less likely. Consequently, patient's satisfaction has emerged as a critical outcome measure in health care services and clinical research. When patients are satisfied with the physician they are more likely to comply with treatment. Mismatch between patient's expectation and the services received is related to a decrease in satisfaction. It has been shown that there are areas of patient's dissatisfaction, which need to be addressed in order to improve the quality of care. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A total of 303 patients with low back pain attending the Family Practice Clinics at Aga Khan University Hospital over a period of 3 months, were interviewed. This represented an overall participation rate of about more than eighty percent (80%). Results: Although the expectations of patients from their Family Physicians is found to be low (less than 50%), but surprisingly a majority (75%) of patients are satisfied with the attitude demonstrated by their Family Physicians and a large majority (93%) with the follow-up appointment agreed with them, and more than 70 % understood and remembered what their Family Physicians explained to them about their diagnosis. A substantial number of patients felt that their Family Physicians give them enough time (66%) during consultation. Conclusion: A high level of satisfaction is found among patients of family physicians with regard to low back pain in this Family Practice Center. Although there are also some deficiencies observed, in which less than half of patients were encouraged to ask questions and told what to do if help is required before next follow-up visit. It is the Primary care physician that the patients will always return to if they are not satisfied with management of low back pain. Furthermore it is in a doctor's own best interest to maintain the status quo and not to challenge the patient's attribution of cause or affect in non-specific LBP.