The national musculoskeletal audit and research database (Version 1.0)
Research type
Research Database
IRAS ID
324885
Contact name
Jonathan Hill
Contact email
Research summary
The national musculoskeletal community and primary care audit and research database
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/SW/0059
Date of REC Opinion
8 Jun 2023
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion
Data collection arrangements
Participating MSK services will register to be part of the national MSK audit. Using a standard process, each service will need to ensure it has the appropriate process, permissions, and agreements in place to take part. This will include each MSK service having their existing data collection process audited, to ensure they are using the National MSK Audit’s standardised dataset (including patient reported outcome and experience data collected via patient survey and coded health record data providing information on management/treatments), and, consent, data privacy and participant information statements about why and how the data is being used. In addition, a set of dummy data from each service will be sent for checking by the central research database team.
Every 6 months, participating services will be asked to upload their routinely collected MSK data and to complete a form with up-to-date information about their organisation (e.g. waiting times and staffing levels). The data will initially be reviewed by the central Keele team to check the quality of the data, ensure patient consent is evident, and that the data is in the right format. Once checked, the data will be transferred to the NHS Secure Data Environment.Research programme
Publicly available information about the quality and consistency of primary care treatment of musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions including back, neck, joint, and muscle pain problems, is close to becoming a reality, with this database due to start collecting data in June 2023. This national database will collect information from Providers of NHS MSK services across the UK, including data from physiotherapists working in community and primary care as well as their patients via online questionnaires. First Contact Physiotherapists (FCPs) are a rapidly expanding new role in GP practices, designed to help reduce GP’s heavy workload and waiting times by assessing and managing MSK conditions instead of patients needing to see a GP. The target population for the national MSK audit and research database is, adults aged 18+ years consulting with an MSK pain condition from a participating community MSK service or a GP practice/FCP service. The project aims to involve a minimum of 10 MSK community services (outpatient physiotherapy) and a minimum of 10 primary care MSK services (GP Practices/FCP Services) within the first year from across the UK
Research database title
The national musculoskeletal community and primary care audit and research database
Establishment organisation
Keele University
Establishment organisation address
David Weatherall Building
Keele University
Stoke-on-Trent
ST5 5BG