Results of an International Survey of Practice Patterns for Establishing Prognosis in Neck Pain: The ICON Project

The findings of an international survey of health care providers for neck pain are reported. The survey specifically collected self-reported practice patterns for developing a prognosis in neck pain. Over 440 responses from 27 countries were collected. Descriptive results indicate that respondents considered prognostic impact to be attributable to factors including mechanism of injury and psychological or behavioral constructs. Range of motion, age and sex were regularly collected regardless of the comparatively moderate impact on prognosis. A comparison between chiropractic and manual/physical therapy groups found differences in practice patterns that were not likely to affect prognostic accuracy.

The authors conclude that their findings suggest a gap exists between current best-evidence and actual practice when the objective is to establish a prognosis in neck pain.