Acceptability and feasibility of implementing WalkBack for prevention of low back pain in clinical practice: a mixed-methods study

The mixed-methods study aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of delivering the WalkBack program—a physiotherapist-facilitated walking and education intervention shown to reduce recurrences of low back pain—within routine private physiotherapy practice across Australia. Twenty physiotherapists will complete a structured training package and embed WalkBack into their usual care over a 12-month implementation period. Quantitative outcomes will be evaluated using the RE-AIM framework (Reach, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance), with pre-specified progression criteria to assess scale-up readiness, while qualitative focus groups will explore clinicians’ experiences, perceived barriers and facilitators, and sustainability considerations. By integrating indicators of routine delivery with qualitative insights, the study seeks to explore implementation considerations to refine training materials, optimise intervention delivery, and determine whether WalkBack demonstrates sufficient readiness for broader scale-up in clinical practice.