• Susan C Slade, Peter Kent, Shilpa Patel, Tracey Bucknall, and Rachelle Buchbinder.
• *Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Institute†Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health & Preventive Medicine, Monash University∥School of Nursing & Midwifery, Deakin University¶Alfred Health, Melbourne, Vic., Australia‡Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark§Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, Division of Health Sciences, Warwick Medical School, The University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.
• Clin J Pain. 2016 Sep 1; 32 (9): 800-16.

IntroductionDespite the availability of evidence-based guidelines for the management of low back pain (LBP) that contain consistent messages, large evidence-practice gaps in primary care remain.ObjectivesTo perform a systematic review and metasynthesis of qualitative studies that have explored primary care clinicians' perceptions and beliefs about guidelines for LBP, including perceived enablers and barriers to guideline adherence.MethodsStudies investigating perceptions and beliefs about LBP guidelines were included if participants were primary care clinicians and qualitative methods had been used for both data collection and analysis. We searched major databases up to July 2014. Pairs of reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, extracted data, appraised method quality using the CASP checklist, conducted thematic analysis, and synthesized the results in narrative format.ResultsSeventeen studies, with a total of 705 participants, were included. We identified 3 key emergent themes and 8 subthemes: (1) guideline implementation and adherence beliefs and perceptions; (2) maintaining the patient-clinician relationship with imaging referrals; and (3) barriers to guideline implementation. Clinicians believed that guidelines were categorical, prescriptive, and constrained professional practice; however, popular clinical practices superseded the guidelines. Imaging referrals were used to manage consultations and to obtain definitive diagnoses. Clinicians' perceptions reflected a lack of content knowledge and understanding of how guidelines are developed.DiscussionAddressing misconceptions and other barriers to uptake of evidence-based guidelines for managing LBP is needed to improve knowledge transfer and close the evidence-practice gap in the treatment of this common condition.

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