• Margreet Hoeijenbos, Trudy Bekkering, Leida Lamers, Erik Hendriks, Maurits van Tulder, and Marc Koopmanschap.
• Institute for Medical Technology Assessment, during research, Erasmus Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
• Health Policy. 2005 Dec 1;75(1):85-98.

Background And PurposeThe treatment for patients with low back pain varies considerably. The Dutch Physiotherapy Association issued an evidence-based physiotherapy guideline for non-specific low back pain. To establish changes in daily practice an active implementation strategy was developed. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of this implementation strategy.Subjects113 physiotherapists included 500 patients with low back pain.MethodsIn the intervention group the guideline was implemented actively, in the control group the standard method of dissemination was used. The patients filled in questionnaires at baseline and 6, 12, 26 and 52 weeks later. Direct medical costs, productivity costs (due to absenteeism) and quality of life (EQ-5D) were calculated.ResultsDuring the 1-year follow up, no differences were found in the quality of life, direct medical costs and productivity costs.ConclusionThe active implementation strategy appears not to be cost effective as compared to the standard strategy.

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