Table 1

Summary of study characteristics

All (n=69 studies)
Participants1747
Clinicians (n, %)
 Total n=630 participants
 GPs337 (54)
 Physiotherapists121 (19)
 Chiropractors57 (9)
 Medical specialists*24 (4)
 Occupational therapists8 (1)
 Other†83 (13)
Patients (n, %)
 Total n=1072 participants
 Acute low back pain38 (4)
 Chronic low back pain515 (48)
 Unspecified519 (48)
Mixed sample (n, %)
 Total n=45 participants
Studies69
Setting (n studies, %)
 Primary care46 (67)
 Secondary care8 (11)
 Tertiary care6 (9)
 Mixed/not-specified9 (13)
Location (n studies, %)
 Europe42 (61)
 Australia/New Zealand14 (20)
 North America11 (16)
 Asia2 (3)
  • *Includes rehabilitation physicians(n=6), mixed group of specialists in neurology, rehabilitation medicine, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, rheumatology (n=14), pain specialist (n=4).

  • †Members of multidisciplinary rehabilitation team, profession not specified.

  • GPs, general practitioners.