Costa N, Schneider CH, Amorim A, Parambath S, Blyth F. “All of these things interact, that’s why it’s such a wicked problem”: stakeholders’ perspectives of what hinders low back pain care in Australia and how to improve it. Health Res Policy Syst. 2024;22(1):1–45.

In this study we interviewed 37 stakeholders with experience of low back pain care in Australia. This included clinicians, consumers, clinicians, managers, and insurers. Included in the most influential drivers of current low back pain care were variability in care and difficulty accessing appropriate care. Better training for clinicians and better collaboration were identified were identified as part of the solution to improve care for low back pain.

Walker P, De Morgan S, Wilson A, Blyth FM. Establishing consensus on key elements and implementation enablers of community-based pain programs to support primary health network decision-making: an eDelphi study. Aust J Prim Health. 2021;28(1):56–62.

In this study we brought together a group of experts to seek consensus on (a) the key elements of best practice related to community-based pain programs and (b) the key enabling factors important for program implementation and sustainability. Health professional training and support was identified as a key enabling factor for community-based pain programs.

Blyth FM, March LM, Brnabic AJM, Jorm LR, Williamson M, Cousins MJ. Chronic pain in Australia: a prevalence study. Pain. 2001 Jan;89(2-3):127–34.

This study was the first to establish that one in five adult Australians live with chronic pain. Identifying chronic pain as a major health burden at population level sent a strong signal to people living with pain that they were not alone, and that a comprehensive, integrated approach was needed at the health system level to address this burden.