The WalkBack (walking and education) program for prevention of low back pain is acceptable to physiotherapists but relies on training, flexibility and system-level enablers to optimise implementation: a qualitative study

IF 9.4 1区医学 Q1 ORTHOPEDICS

Journal of Physiotherapy Pub Date : 2026-07-01 Epub Date: 2026-06-29 DOI:10.1016/j.jphys.2026.06.007

Seong Kyeong Yeom, Georgia Fisher, Mark R Hancock, Deborah Wareham, Andrew Gratchev, Jorden Pavlovski, Natasha C Pocovi

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Questions

What are the perceived barriers and facilitators to physiotherapists adopting a prevention-based walking and education program (WalkBack) in routine practice for patients with recurrent low back pain? What refinements to the WalkBack program could enhance future implementation efforts?

Design

This was a qualitative study using individual, online, semi-structured interviews.

Participants

Twenty registered physiotherapists practising in Australia, including 10 with previous experience delivering the WalkBack program and 10 without prior exposure. Purposive sampling was used to capture insights from physiotherapists across geographic settings, roles and experience levels. Interview questions were informed by the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance) framework and analysed using an inductive framework analysis.

Data analysis

Themes were iteratively developed through team-based discussions.

Results

Four themes were identified. First, the WalkBack program is relevant and acceptable to physiotherapists, aligning with the profession’s shift towards prevention-based care and further supported by its endorsement by research and professional bodies. Second, the WalkBack training is important for effective delivery and implementation. Its flexible online and face-to-face format facilitated engagement, and forming communities of practice was viewed as critical for sustaining future implementation. Third, flexible delivery and structured resources were seen as critical to enabling scalable implementation. This included developing ready-to-use resources such as referral communication templates and advertising materials. Fourth, successful adoption hinges on system-level enablers, including supportive leadership, funding structures and alignment with service settings.

Conclusion

Physiotherapists viewed WalkBack as relevant, acceptable and clinically valuable. Future implementation will need to address training needs, enhance resource provision and explore system-level support. Each clinic’s unique service and funding structures may support or deter adoption of the WalkBack program. The findings offer transferable insights to inform implementation of similar clinician-delivered programs, particularly in contexts that share similar clinical and organisational characteristics.

Registration

https://osf.io/t3xbc

查看原文本刊更多论文

用于预防腰痛的WalkBack（步行和教育）计划对物理治疗师来说是可以接受的，但依赖于培训、灵活性和系统级的使能器来优化实施：一项定性研究。

问题：对于复发性腰痛患者，物理治疗师在常规实践中采用基于预防的步行和教育计划（WalkBack）的障碍和促进因素是什么？对“回溯”计划的哪些改进可以加强未来的实施工作？设计：这是一项使用个人、在线、半结构化访谈的定性研究。参与者：20名在澳大利亚执业的注册物理治疗师，其中10名有提供WalkBack计划的经验，10名没有之前的经验。有目的的抽样被用来捕捉不同地理环境、角色和经验水平的物理治疗师的见解。访谈问题由RE-AIM （Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation and Maintenance）框架提供，并使用归纳框架分析进行分析。数据分析：通过基于团队的讨论迭代开发主题。结果：确定了四个主题。首先，WalkBack项目对物理治疗师来说是相关和可接受的，与该行业转向以预防为基础的护理相一致，并得到了研究和专业机构的进一步支持。其次，WalkBack培训对于有效交付和实施非常重要。其灵活的在线和面对面形式促进了参与，形成实践社区被视为维持未来实施的关键。第三，灵活的交付和结构化的资源被认为是实现可伸缩实现的关键。这包括开发现成的资源，如转介通讯模板和广告材料。第四，成功的采用取决于系统层面的推动因素，包括支持性领导、资金结构和与服务环境的一致性。结论：物理治疗师认为WalkBack具有相关性、可接受性和临床价值。未来的实施将需要解决培训需求、加强资源供应和探索系统层面的支持。每个诊所独特的服务和资金结构可能会支持或阻碍WalkBack计划的采用。研究结果提供了可转移的见解，为实施类似的临床交付项目提供信息，特别是在具有相似临床和组织特征的背景下。注册:https://osf.io/t3xbc。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Physiotherapy ORTHOPEDICS-REHABILITATION

CiteScore

11.40

自引率

7.40%

发文量

审稿时长

72 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Physiotherapy is the official journal of the Australian Physiotherapy Association. It aims to publish high-quality research with a significant impact on global physiotherapy practice. The journal's vision is to lead the field in supporting clinicians to access, understand, and implement research evidence that will enhance person-centred care. In January 2008, the Journal of Physiotherapy became the first physiotherapy journal to adhere to the ICMJE requirement of registering randomized trials with a recognized Trial Registry. The journal prioritizes systematic reviews, clinical trials, economic analyses, experimental studies, qualitative studies, epidemiological studies, and observational studies. In January 2014, it also became the first core physiotherapy/physical therapy journal to provide free access to editorials and peer-reviewed original research. The Australian Physiotherapy Association extended their support for excellence in physiotherapy practice by sponsoring open access publication of all Journal of Physiotherapy content in 2016. As a result, all past, present, and future journal articles are freely accessible, and there are no author fees for publication.