Presented in part at the 71st Annual Scientific Meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, Boston, MA, November 2007, and the Canadian Pharmacists Association Annual General Meeting, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, June 2008.
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Osteoarthritis
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After patients are diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, what do they do?†
Article first published online: 30 MAR 2010
DOI: 10.1002/acr.20170
Copyright © 2010 by the American College of Rheumatology
Additional Information
How to Cite
Grindrod, K. A., Marra, C. A., Colley, L., Cibere, J., Tsuyuki, R. T., Esdaile, J. M., Gastonguay, L. and Kopec, J. (2010), After patients are diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, what do they do?. Arthritis Care Res, 62: 510–515. doi: 10.1002/acr.20170
- †
Publication History
- Issue published online: 30 MAR 2010
- Article first published online: 30 MAR 2010
- Manuscript Accepted: 30 NOV 2009
- Manuscript Received: 14 MAY 2009
Funded by
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research Team (Tooling Up for Early Osteoarthritis: Measuring What Matters)
- Merck Frosst Canada
- Postdoctoral fellowship trainee award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
- Government of Canada Research Chair in Pharmaceutical Outcomes
- Scholar Award from the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research
- J. W. McConnell Family Foundation Scholar award
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research Clinical Scientist award
- Merck Frosst Chair in Patient Health Management
- Abstract
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Abstract
Objective
To learn more about the health services and products that patients use after receiving a diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis (OA), as well as the trajectory of their health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
Methods
Using a simple screening survey, community pharmacists identified 194 participants with previously undiagnosed knee OA. Of these participants, 190 were confirmed to have OA on further investigation. At baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months after diagnosis, a survey was administered to assess health services, product use, and HRQOL, including the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36 (SF-36) health survey, the Paper Adaptive Test (PAT-5D-QOL), and the Health Utilities Index Mark 3.
Results
With a mean age of 63 years, participants were mostly women, white, and overweight. By 6 months, more than 90% of the participants had visited their family physician to discuss their OA, and more than 50% of participants took either prescription or nonprescription analgesics. In addition, three-quarters of the participants started exercising, one-third initiated activity aids, and one-third had started natural medicine products. At 6 months compared with baseline, significant improvements were seen in the SF-36 physical component summary (P = 0.001) and bodily pain domain scores (P = 0.02), the PAT-5D-QOL overall, pain, and usual daily activities scores (P < 0.001 for all), and the WOMAC total, pain, and function scores (P < 0.001 for all).
Conclusion
Within 6 months of receiving a diagnosis of knee OA, participants made several lifestyle interventions, often without the advice of a health professional, and saw improvements in their pain and function.