Topical Concurrent Session 1F – Prognostic screening tools for musculoskeletal pain conditions

Description

Prognostic screening tools for musculoskeletal pain conditions: development, application and clinical value

Chair: Emma Karran, University of South Australia, SA
Stratified approaches to health care delivery – which aim to match patients to the most appropriate care pathways – are gaining popularity for their potential to optimise treatment benefits and maximise care efficiency. A common approach bases stratified care decisions on patients’ prognostic profiles, which requires early, accurate screening using a valid and reliable instrument. This symposium will report on the recent external validation of a clinical prediction rule for whiplash, prediction of back pain outcomes using the Chronic Pain Risk Score, and a head-to-head comparison of 3 popular screening instruments in a secondary care setting. In light of their research findings and the challenges encountered when conducting research in this field, the presenting team will debate and discuss questions of particular relevance to both researchers and clinicians. These will include:

How do we decide on the clinical value of screening instruments?
What’s in a name? Predictive Tools, Prognostic Models, Clinical Prediction Rules, Prognostic Screening Instruments – are they all the same?
Striking the balance: screening instruments/prediction tools vs clinical reasoning and individualised care.
Presenters:
Emma Karran, University of South Australia, SA
Dr Carrie Ritchie, Recover Injury Research Centre, Griffith University, QLD
Professor Judith Turner, University of Washington, USA