A.M. Alqarni1,2, C. Smith1, D. Baxter1, S. Tumilty1, R. Mani1
1University of Otago, School of Physiotherapy, Dunedin, New Zealand, 2King Abdul-Aziz University, Faculty of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences - Physiotherapy, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Background: Quantitative sensory testing (QST) procedures are potentially useful in musculoskeletal (MSK) physiotherapy clinical practice to aid clinicians to recognise central sensitization (CS) associated with pain. YouTube™ and Google™ videos on QST procedures can be used as resources for learning to administer QST in clinical practice by physiotherapists. However, the content quality of these videos should be determined before any recommendations can be made for their use. In addition, it is essential to obtain the end-users’/physiotherapist’s feedback on the identified videos to ensure their usability as educational resources.
Purpose: First, this study aims to investigate the content quality of QST videos available through YouTube™ and Google™ search engines for the assessment of CS. Second, to allow an in-depth exploration of physiotherapists’ views on the features of high-quality videos to be used as educational resources for the assessment of CS.
Methods: QST videos published in YouTube™ and Google™ were identified and screened for eligibility criteria. A newly developed and validated 17-item checklist was used to analyze the quality of the video on July 31, 2018, by two independent reviewers. The checklist consists of primary criteria (8 items) that assessed the characteristics of physical administration of QST procedures and the secondary criteria (9 items) assessed other clinical requirements for the administration of test procedures. Focus groups (n=8) were conducted exploring musculoskeletal physiotherapists’ views on features of identified videos and to enable learning and replication of the test procedures in clinical practice.
Results: Of the videos included in this study, two QST videos on pressure pain threshold were scored high enough on the assessment checklist to be included in the focus groups. However, the focus groups reported that physiotherapists viewed both algometry videos were simple and lacked information that is necessary to reproduce the QST procedures in clinical practice. Physiotherapists stated that poor technical quality and lack of professionalism in the videos lessened their credibility.
Conclusion(s): YouTube™ and Google™ videos related to QST procedures lacked essential content and technical quality to be used as educational resources for the assessment of CS. Therefore, physiotherapists recommended incorporating additional information on CS, standardization of test application and the position of the test subject. Additionally, physiotherapists recommended that future videos should have higher technical quality and professionalism to increase their trustworthiness.
Implications: This study highlights that high-quality videos should be developed based on physiotherapists’ recommendations such that they can effectively be utilized for building capacity of physiotherapists on the assessment of CS.
Funding, acknowledgements: King Abdul-Aziz University Scholarships.
Keywords: Central sensitization, Quantitative sensory testing, Knowledge translation
Topic: Pain & pain management
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: University of Otago
Committee: University of Otago Human Ethics Committee
Ethics number: reference # 18/122
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
