Lay summary
Low back pain (LBP) is common and often debilitating for the patient, as well as costly for society. There is good evidence to support different physical treatment approaches such as exercise and manipulation. However, the presence of psychosocial factors increases the risk of developing ongoing (chronic) recurrent/episodic LBP. Extensive research has shown clinical and economic benefit of stratifying patients with LBP using the STarT Back screening tool and matched care, based on identification of psychosocial factors. The STarT Back programme, developed in the United Kingdom, requires adaptation to the New Zealand (NZ) health system. The purpose of this activation grant would be to engage with a wide range of stakeholders to co-create a modified version of Start Back suitable for the NZ context, and preferred strategies for implementing the new approach. Findings would inform future grant applications to test feasibility and implementation of the modified STarT Back model.