Chronic low back pain (cLBP) impacts millions of adults annually. Several nonsurgical interventions are recommended for treating this condition, however, limited literature exists regarding the impact patient-led goals may have on outcomes in the treatment of cLBP. The purpose of this narrative review is to identify gaps and synthesize literature examining the associations of patient-led goals combined with care for cLBP. A total of 12 studies were reviewed and findings were synthesized. Patient-led goal setting may serve as an effective intervention for adults with cLBP. Current outcome measures may not align with patient-led goals. Further investigation is required to understand patient-led goals with ancillary treatments and specific age groups, such as adults over age 65.
Keywords: chronic low back pain; patient goals; patient-centered care; patient-identified goals; patient-led goals.
Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a public health concern impacting millions of adults every year. There are several treatment options available and recommended for managing this condition. Patient-led goal-setting is a concept designed to be applied along with these management choices. Patient-led goal setting is the process of the patient identifying a specific goal, without influence from healthcare providers, that they hope to achieve with the treatment of their cLBP. Despite the use of this practice, only a few studies have addressed what impact this process has on the management of cLBP. This review examined 12 studies and determined that patient-led goal setting may be useful for managing cLBP, but researchers must investigate this process further.