GPs can refer patients with low back pain to apps, says NICE

GPs can offer patients with non-specific low back pain access to digital apps to help them self-manage their condition and reduce pressure on NHS services, say draft recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).1NICE concluded that there is a lack of evidence on the clinical and cost-effectiveness of these types of apps and has proposed that seven be made available to enable more evidence to be collected.The draft guidance says that GPs and other health professionals would be able to refer patients aged 16 years and over to seven apps that provide support for new non-specific back pain or back pain that has lasted more than three months. Patients would also be able to self-refer to some apps that provide initial triage and assessment of low back pain symptoms. Self-referral would be through their GP surgery, through the surgery website, or signposting by the practice receptionist,…
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