Professor Dr Chris MaherDirector of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, & Professor, School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Australia
Prof Chris Maher is the Director of the Institute for Musculoskeletal Health and a professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Sydney. Chris has degrees in physiotherapy and exercise science, a PhD and a higher doctorate. His research aims to improve health care and outcomes for people with low back pain and has been published in leading journals such as NEJM, JAMA and Lancet. His research program has changed clinical practice globally and has been cited to support diagnosis, prognosis and management recommendations in 124 LBP guidelines from 20 countries.
Chris is a fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapy, a fellow of the Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences and a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW. He has 950 journal publications, 89,709 citations, $101M in grants and 51 PhD completions. In 2024 he was awarded an Order of Australia (AM) for service to physiotherapy as a researcher, clinician and mentor, particularly in the field of pain management. |
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Reducing Low Value Care for Pain
Overuse of low value care and underuse of high value care typically co-exist, so a sole focus on low value care may be insufficient to improve health care and health outcomes for people living with pain. As was noted in the editorial to the Lancet Low Back Pain Series the challenge is to stop the use of low value care while ensuring access to effective and affordable healthcare for people with low back pain.
I will share case studies from my work within the Australia and New Zealand Back Pain (ANZBACK) Research Network to illustrate how we have tackled overuse of low value care and underuse of high value care. I will also provide a few examples of recent trials (e.g. I-WOTCH, RECITAL, RESHAPED) that have evaluated the potential for new models of care to improve healthcare and health outcomes for people with pain.
I will share case studies from my work within the Australia and New Zealand Back Pain (ANZBACK) Research Network to illustrate how we have tackled overuse of low value care and underuse of high value care. I will also provide a few examples of recent trials (e.g. I-WOTCH, RECITAL, RESHAPED) that have evaluated the potential for new models of care to improve healthcare and health outcomes for people with pain.
Spinal Cord Stimulators: What Does the Evidence Say?
Whether spinal cord stimulators have a role in the management of pain is currently a subject of significant debate. This debate has played out in the letters sections of journals, in social media and also quite prominently in the traditional media. A key problem is that while these devices have a long history of use; the current evidence base is quite limited and what evidence we do have is of variable quality.
This presentation will provide a synopsis of the evidence on clinical efficacy provided by two recent Cochrane reviews. It will give an overview on safety of the devices drawing from analyses of adverse events data reported to Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and consider evidence on patterns of care, reinterventions and costs based upon Australian Health Insurer data. It will also review the regulatory actions taken by the TGA in 2024 where approval was cancelled for 12 devices and conditions of use placed on the remainder.
The talk will conclude with a Call to Action, outlining the priorities for research in this area and how the existing uncertainties on the devices can best be resolved.
This presentation will provide a synopsis of the evidence on clinical efficacy provided by two recent Cochrane reviews. It will give an overview on safety of the devices drawing from analyses of adverse events data reported to Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration and consider evidence on patterns of care, reinterventions and costs based upon Australian Health Insurer data. It will also review the regulatory actions taken by the TGA in 2024 where approval was cancelled for 12 devices and conditions of use placed on the remainder.
The talk will conclude with a Call to Action, outlining the priorities for research in this area and how the existing uncertainties on the devices can best be resolved.
