Understanding How Physiotherapists in Türkiye Follow Low Back Pain Guidelines and What Affects Their Use of Research in Practice

NCT07178548 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: E-10840098-202.3.02-3367
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 106
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The goal of this observational study is to understand how physiotherapists and physiotherapy students in Türkiye manage low back pain and how closely they follow clinical practice guidelines and use research evidence. The main questions it aims to answer are:

• Do physiotherapists follow evidence-based guidelines when treating low back pain?
• What factors influence their treatment choices and use of research in practice? Participants will:
• Complete a short online survey (about 5-10 minutes)
• Answer questions about their education, clinical decisions, and treatment approaches for low back pain

Conditions

Low Back Pain; Guideline Adherence; Physiotherapist; Physiotherapist Students

Keywords

Low back pain; LBP; Physiotherapy; Physical therapy; Evidence-Based Practice; Türkiye; Physiotherapy Interns; Survey Study; Guideline Adherence

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Level of Adherence to Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) for Low Back Pain (LBP) Rehabilitation

  Assessment of the level of adherence to evidence-based LBP rehabilitation guidelines among licensed physical therapists and 4th-year internship students. This is measured by responses to a structured questionnaire evaluating compliance with specific clinical practice recommendations.

  At the time of survey completion (Baseline)

• Comparison of Guideline Adherence Between Licensed Physical Therapists and Internship Students

  Analysis of differences in adherence scores between licensed physical therapists and internship students to identify any significant variation in the implementation of guideline practices.

  At the time of survey completion (baseline)

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Perceived Barriers to Implementing Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)

  At the time of survey completion (Baseline)

Study Arms (2)

Licenced Physiotherapists

This group includes licenced physical therapists currently practicing in Turkey in various settings, such as hospitals, private clinics rehabilitation centers or universities.

Other: Online Survey

Intern Physiotherapists

This group includes physiotherapy students in their clinical internship period from accredited universities in Turkey.

Other: Online Survey

Interventions

Online Survey OTHER

Participants will complete a structured online survey designed to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and application of evidence-based guidelines (clinical practice guidelines - CPGs) in managing low back pain (LBP).

Intern Physiotherapists; Licenced Physiotherapists

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants will be recruited from hospitals, rehabilitation centers, private clinics, and university physiotherapy programs across Türkiye. The population includes licensed physiotherapists and final-year physiotherapy students involved in low back pain rehabilitation.

You may qualify if:

• Be a licensed physiotherapist currently practicing in Türkiye OR be a physiotherapy intern student enrolled in a clinical internship in Türkiye
• Have experience managing patients with low back pain (LBP)
• Ability to provide informed consent and complete an online questionnaire.

You may not qualify if:

• Are not currently practicing physiotherapy or not currently enrolled in a clinical internship
• Have no experience in managing low back pain patients
• Are unable to complete an online questionnaire due to technological or literacy limitations
• Decline to provide informed consen

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Medipol University: lead

Study Sites (1)

Istanbul Medipol University

Beykoz, Istanbul, 34810, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

Related Publications (20)

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MeSH Terms

Conditions

Low Back Pain

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Back Pain; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Officials

• Gizem Ergezen Şahin, Dr. Assistant Professor

  Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation/Istanbul Medipol University

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: CASE ONLY
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: June 29, 2025
• First Posted: September 17, 2025
• Study Start: September 25, 2025
• Primary Completion: November 10, 2025
• Study Completion: December 10, 2025
• Last Updated: April 30, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)