Rapid Access Clinics for Low Back Pain (RAC-LBP)

RAC-LBP (formerly ISAEC) is an innovative, upstream, shared-care model of care in which patients receive rapid low back pain assessment (less than two weeks on average), education and evidence-based self-management plans. It is designed to decrease the prevalence of unmanageable chronic low back pain, reduce unnecessary diagnostic imaging as well as unnecessary specialist referral. The pilot was successful in decreasing MRI utilization by over 30% within the network as well as documenting a significant reduction in the risk of chronicity for patients with low back pain while maintaining extremely high patient (99%) and primary care provider (97%) satisfaction rates. The RAC-LBP Program is funded by the Government of Ontario.