Table 1.
Top ten low back pain (LBP) research priorities identified by primary care practitioners, and results from the round 3 ranking process.
| Final rank | Research priority (Which areas of low back pain management would you like more information on in order to improve your practice?) | Median (IQR)* | Mode | Rank after round 2 | Present in Guidelines |
| 1 | Identifying sub-groups of patients that respond optimally to different treatments | 3.5 (1.75–7.00) | 1 | 3 | No |
| 2 | Core strengthening exercises as a treatment for LBP | 4 (2.00–5.25) | 1 | 2 | Yes |
| 3 | Different exercise management approaches as a treatment for LBP | 4 (2.00–6.00) | 2 | 1 | Yes |
| 4 | Self-management as a treatment of LBP | 5 (3.00–7.00) | 3 | 6 | No |
| 5 | Manual therapy (mobilisation/manipulation) as a treatment for LBP | 5 (3.75–8.00) | 4 | 5 | Yes |
| 6 | Factors that influence the process of recovery/recurrence | 5 (3.00–6.00) | 5 | 4 | Yes |
| 7 | The importance of primary care in the treatment of LBP (when, who, how long) | 6 (4.00–8.25) | 9 | 9 | No |
| 8 | Identifying a cause for LBP | 7 (3.00–8.25) | 8 | 8 | No |
| 9 | Identification and treatment of patients with psychosocial "yellow flags" | 8 (5.00–9.00) | 9 | 10 | Yes |
| 10 | Comparison of treatment approaches by primary care professions treating LBP | 9 (5.00–10.00) | 10 | 7 | No |
*IQR = inter-quartile range