BACKGROUND: The prevalence of disability caused by musculoskeletal conditions continues to increase. Little research has considered the effect of process variables of a musculoskeletal care pathway on patient outcomes. A process variable is as any modifiable factor in a pathway that can be quantified and measured and that if varied may achieve a different operational or patient outcome. The perspective of patients on what process variables are important in musculoskeletal care pathways remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate which process variables are important to patients and what their experiences of these processes were during the rehabilitation of their musculoskeletal conditions. METHOD: A qualitative study using a reflexive thematic analytical approach was undertaken. Four focus groups with 12 participants were conducted. Thematic analysis was utilized on the focus group data. RESULTS: Four key themes were generated: 1) Process matters
(2) Quantifying progress facilitated patient engagement
(3) Benefits of equitable access of care
and (4) Recovery made easier with navigation. CONCLUSION: Patients with musculoskeletal conditions recognise the importance of process variables, especially timeliness, order of care, coordination of care delivery, quantifying progress, equity of access and navigation. These findings offer insights to care pathway designers as well as future research opportunities examining the effects of process variables on the outcomes of patients with musculoskeletal conditions.