Evidence mapPaperPMID 40556364Full record

ArticlePrimary health care research & development2025

Local variation in musculoskeletal pain consultation rates in primary care: findings from an ecologic study in Staffordshire.

George M Peat, Jonathan C Hill, Dahai Yu, Simon Wathall, Emma Parry, James Bailey, Kay Stevenson, Clare Thompson, Ross Wilkie, Krysia Dziedzic and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Primary health care research & development, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

George M PeatProfessor of Clinical Epidemiology, Centre for Applied Health & Social Care Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9008-0184
Jonathan C HillProfessor of Physiotherapy, Primary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6246-1409
Dahai YuSenior Research Fellow, Primary care Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8449-7725
Simon WathallHealth Informatics Specialist, Keele Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7107-5785
Emma ParryNIHR Academic Clinical Lecturer in Primary Care, Primary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0278-6898
James BaileyData Manager, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2566-3527
Kay StevensonConsultant Physiotherapist, Midlands Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust, Staffordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2518-4227
Clare ThompsonTrial Manager, Keele Clinical Trials Unit, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-2160-0619
Ross WilkieProfessor Public Health and Epidemiology, Primary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4825-714X
Krysia DziedzicProfessor of Musculoskeletal Therapies, Primary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1168-8993
Kelvin P JordanProfessor of Biostatistics Primary Care Centre Versus Arthritis, School of Medicine, Keele University, Staffordshire, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4748-5335
MIDAS Patient Advisory Group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Variation between general practices in the rate of consultations for musculoskeletal pain conditions may signal important differences in access to primary care, perceived usefulness, or available alternative sources of care; however, it might also just reflect differences in underlying 'need' between practices' registered populations. In a study of 30 general practices in Staffordshire, we calculated the proportion of adults consulting for a musculoskeletal pain condition, then examined this in relation to selected practice and population characteristics, including the estimated prevalence of self-reported musculoskeletal problems and chronic pain in each practices' registered population. Between September 2021 and July 2022, 18,388 adults were consulted for a musculoskeletal pain condition. After controlling for length of recruitment, time of year, and age-sex structure, the proportion consulting varied up to two-fold between practices but was not strongly associated with the prevalence of self-reported long-term musculoskeletal problems, chronic pain, and high-impact chronic pain.

Indexed as

Musculoskeletal PainPrimary Health CareReferral and ConsultationAdolescentAdultAgedChronic PainEnglandFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrevalenceSelf ReportYoung Adultelectronic health recordmusculoskeletalprimary care

Identifiers

PMID40556364
PMCPMC12188128

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.