What gets measured gets managed: A scoping review of musculoskeletal research conducted within practice-based research networks

Rahim Lalji; Javier Muñoz Laguna; Jael Kauth; Léonie Hofstetter; Astrid Kurmann; Jon Adams; Alice Kongsted; Viktor von Wyl; Milo A Puhan; Cesar A Hincapié

doi:10.1097/PHM.0000000000002485

What gets measured gets managed: A scoping review of musculoskeletal research conducted within practice-based research networks

Am J Phys Med Rehabil. 2024 Apr 26. doi: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002485. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Rahim Lalji, Javier Muñoz Laguna, Jael Kauth¹, Léonie Hofstetter, Astrid Kurmann², Jon Adams³, Alice Kongsted, Viktor von Wyl, Milo A Puhan⁴, Cesar A Hincapié

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chiropractic Medicine, Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
² EBPI-UWZH Musculoskeletal Epidemiology Research Group, University of Zurich and Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland.
³ Australian Research Centre in Complementary and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
⁴ Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute (EBPI), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.

PMID: 38682899
DOI: 10.1097/PHM.0000000000002485

Abstract

Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are often managed in primary care settings. To facilitate research and health care quality, practice-based research networks (PBRNs) offer sustained collaborations between clinicians and researchers. A scoping review was conducted to describe characteristics of PBRNs used for MSK research and MSK research conducted through PBRNs. PBRNs were identified from 1) MSK-studies identified In OVID Medline, CINAHL, and Embase databases from inception to 05 February 2023 and in ClinicalTrials.gov; and 2) from PBRN registries and websites. Among active MSK-focused PBRNs (i.e., currently recruiting and conducting research), an assessment of PBRN research good practices was performed. After screening 3025 records, 85 studies from 46 unique PBRNs met our eligibility criteria. Common conditions studied were low back pain (28%), MSK conditions not otherwise specified (25%), and osteoarthritis (19%). 32 PBRNs (70%) were deemed to be active. Among active MSK-focused PBRNs, best practice data management information was retrievable for most (53%). Due to the scarcity of publicly available information, a large proportion of PBRN research good practice items was not assessable. PBRNs have provided an avenue to assess clinical practice and patient outcomes related to MSK conditions. Further work to increase the transparency of MSK PBRN research practices is warranted.