Patients’ perceptions with musculoskeletal disorders regarding their experience with healthcare providers and health services: an overview of reviews

Objectives: This overview of reviews aimed to identify (1) aspects of the patient experience when seeking care for musculoskeletal disorders from healthcare providers and the healthcare system, and (2) which mechanisms are used to measure aspects of the patient experience. Data sources: Four databases were searched from inception to December 20th, 2019. Review methods: Systematic or scoping reviews examining patient experience in seeking care for musculoskeletal from healthcare providers and the healthcare system were included. Independent authors screened and selected studies, extracted data, and assessed the methodological quality of the reviews. Patient experience concepts were compiled into five themes from a perspective of a) relational and b) functional aspects. A list of mechanisms used to capture the patient experience was also collected. Results: Thirty reviews were included (18 systematic and 12 scoping reviews). Relational aspects were reported in 29 reviews and functional aspects in 25 reviews. For relational aspects, the most prevalent themes were “information needs” (education and explanation on diseases, symptoms, and self-management strategies) and “understanding patient expectations” (respect and empathy). For functional aspects, the most prevalent themes were patient’s “physical and environmental needs,” (cleanliness, safety, and accessibility of clinics), and “trusted expertise,” (healthcare providers’ competence and clinical skills to provide holistic care). Interviews were the most frequent mechanism identified to collect patient experience. Conclusions: Measuring patient experience provides direct insights about the patient’s perspectives and may help to promote better patient-centered health services and increase the quality of care. Areas of improvement identified were interpersonal skills of healthcare providers and logistics of health delivery, which may lead to a more desirable patient-perceived experience and thus better overall healthcare outcomes. Trial registration: Systematic review registration: PROSPERO (CRD42019136500).