Aims
The aims of this systematic review are (i) to identify healthcare disparities in culturally and linguistically diverse patients with low back pain, in comparison with counterparts; and (ii) to describe the existing healthcare disparities in different countries.
Methods
This is a systematic review conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Eligibility criteria We will include observational studies that compared any type of healthcare utilisation among patients with non-serious low back pain from distinct cultural and/or linguistic backgrounds. Database searches We searched in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CINAHL from 1 January 2000 to 24 June 2021, using the search strategy focused on low back pain, health care, and culturally and linguistically diverse. Study selection Two independent reviewers conducted a pilot test and screened all retrieved studies in Covidence using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. They will independently review relevant full texts and perform forward and backward citation tracking of included studies. Data extraction We will develop a standardised data extraction form in Excel and calibrate with pilot testing. Methodology quality Included studies will be appraised risk of bias in six domains as stated in Sanderson et al. Data analysis Key findings will be summarised in a data description table and narratively described. Random-effects meta-analysis will be used to synthesise relevant findings, and if possible, subgroup analyses by country will also be conducted. Data will be analysed using SAS 9.4.
Results
We retrieved 4,660 studies from three databases and removed 1,545 duplicates. We identified 78 potentially relevant studies by title and abstract screening. The analysis will be completed by September, and we will present full results at the symposium.
Conclusions
Racial and ethnic disparities in pain management have been broadly reported. But there is still a dearth of reviews exploring healthcare disparities in low back pain management among culturally and linguistically diverse populations.