In the first systematic review , the patients ' or HCPs ' overall judgment about the likely evolution of LBP was the factor most strongly linked to poor outcome , with predictive validity similar to that of multidimensional scales .
This result may be explained by the implicit aggregation of many prognostic factors underlying this judgment and suggests the relevance of considering the patients from biopsychosocial and longitudinal points of view .
It is unlikely that any intervention focusing on a single factor would ever fit the needs of most patients ; interventions targeting determinants from several fields ( mainly psychosocial , biomechanical , and occupational ) may be more relevant .
Finally , in the third study , the prevalence of psychosocial comorbidity in chronic LBP patients was not found to be significantly higher than in other patients consulting in primary care .
Rather than specifically screening for psychosocial conditions , this suggests taking into account any potential comorbidity in patients with chronic LBP , as in other patients .
As this condition is illustrative of many situations encountered in primary care , the strategies proposed here may benefit most patients consulting in this setting
Non-specific low back pain ( LBP ) affects many people and has major socio-economic consequences .
Traditional therapeutic strategies , mainly focused on biomechanical factors , have had moderate and short-term impact .
Certain psychosocial factors have been linked to poor prognosis of LBP and they are increasingly considered as promising targets for management of LBP .
Primary health care providers ( HCPs ) are involved in most of the management of people with LBP and they are skilled in providing comprehensive care , including consideration of psychosocial dimensions .
This review aims to discuss three pieces of recent research focusing on psychosocial issues in LBP patients in primary care .
The LBP patient perception scale: a new predictor of LBP episode outcomes among primary care patients.
OBJECTIVE To describe a new tool design ed to capture patients ' perception of their low back pain ( LBP ) episodes-the  patient perception scale ( PPS ) and test its ability to predict episode outcomes . METHODS Thirty-two family physicians recruited 526 low back pain patients during an office visit . Physicians completed a short question naire at the index visit , which included both their assessment s of patients ' patient perception scale ( PPS-doc ) and contact information . Patients were then interviewed by telephone within 2 weeks after the index visit , with follow-up telephone contacts at 2 , 4 , 8 and 12 months . The  patient perception scale as reported by the physician ( PPS-doc ) and patient ( PPS-pt ) , each constituent question , and different combinations were analyzed for their ability to predict patient outcomes . RESULTS Patients ' responses ( PPS-pt ) proved predictive for all outcome items . PPS-doc was much less predictive . Measures of patient centeredness did not perform well in this study . CONCLUSION By using a short scale based on the patient 's perception of pain ( PPS-pt ) , it is possible to predict adverse outcomes of a low back pain episode . The patient perception scale should be evaluated further and perhaps combined with other instruments for targeting care and chronicity prevention efforts in low back pain . PRACTICE IMPLICATION S The PPS-pt could potentially be used as part of the st and ard initial patient evaluation of new LBP patients , as a proxy for " yellow flags " ( markers of psychosocial risk ) where a positive score might be the equivalent to high-risk identification . The apparent advantage of this scale is its brevity and simplicity of administration . The separation , through this scale of pain episodes into simple and complex LBP might be a useful tool for helping direct re sources and avoiding chronicity
In the first systematic review , the patients ' or HCPs ' overall judgment about the likely evolution of LBP was the factor most strongly linked to poor outcome , with predictive validity similar to that of multidimensional scales .
This result may be explained by the implicit aggregation of many prognostic factors underlying this judgment and suggests the relevance of considering the patients from biopsychosocial and longitudinal points of view .
It is unlikely that any intervention focusing on a single factor would ever fit the needs of most patients ; interventions targeting determinants from several fields ( mainly psychosocial , biomechanical , and occupational ) may be more relevant .
Finally , in the third study , the prevalence of psychosocial comorbidity in chronic LBP patients was not found to be significantly higher than in other patients consulting in primary care .
Rather than specifically screening for psychosocial conditions , this suggests taking into account any potential comorbidity in patients with chronic LBP , as in other patients .
As this condition is illustrative of many situations encountered in primary care , the strategies proposed here may benefit most patients consulting in this setting
Non-specific low back pain ( LBP ) affects many people and has major socio-economic consequences .
Traditional therapeutic strategies , mainly focused on biomechanical factors , have had moderate and short-term impact .
Certain psychosocial factors have been linked to poor prognosis of LBP and they are increasingly considered as promising targets for management of LBP .
Primary health care providers ( HCPs ) are involved in most of the management of people with LBP and they are skilled in providing comprehensive care , including consideration of psychosocial dimensions .
This review aims to discuss three pieces of recent research focusing on psychosocial issues in LBP patients in primary care .