Challenges and Perspectives in Treating Individuals With Musculoskeletal Disorders and Comorbidity: A Systematic Literature Review With a Descriptive Thematic Synthesis

Background The prevalence of comorbidity amongst individuals seeking care for musculoskeletal disorders is rising. This underscores the importance of understanding how health care professionals are managing individuals with musculoskeletal disorders and comorbidity. Objectives To analyse the existing literature focusing on healthcare professionals' challenges and perspectives in managing individuals with musculoskeletal disorders and comorbidity. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted across four databases: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase and Scopus, focusing on healthcare professionals' experiences of treating individuals with musculoskeletal disorders and comorbidity. The review included studies of a qualitative nature that explored healthcare professionals' experiences in the management of this patient population. Results The systematic search yielded 2645 articles, of which five studies were included. All included studies investigated physiotherapists as their target group, while one study also included occupational therapists. Most studies focused on individuals with osteoarthritis and comorbidity. Common challenges identified included a lack of knowledge and training in addressing comorbidities in healthcare professionals, particularly psychological conditions, diabetes and obesity, which was perceived as a barrier for making individualised treatment plans. Conclusions This systematic literature review highlights the limited evidence on the experiences of healthcare professionals in treating individuals with musculoskeletal disorders and comorbidity. Findings underscore the need for further training to support clinicians in treating this patient population, and the need for further research exploring the perspectives of healthcare professionals, especially among others than physiotherapists.