Introducing Australia's clinical care standard for low back pain

Clinical care standards differ from clinical practice guidelines as they focus on key areas of care where the need for quality improvement is greatest rather than providing an exhaustive coverage of all aspects of management. A clinical care standard comprises a small number of quality statements that describe the care patients should be offered by clinicians and health services for their health condition in line with current best evidence. Care standards also usually include quality indicators to allow clinicians and health services to measure how well they are implementing the care recommended in the standard. Patient education and advice A patient with low back pain is provided with information about their condition and receives targeted advice to increase their understanding and address their concerns and expectations.