Non-traumatic knee pain in middle-aged and older adults is a disabling condition that negatively impacts quality of life, psychological wellbeing, and the ability to maintain employment. Knee pain accounts for the greatest number of new consultations in Irish secondary care orthopaedic clinics (Ashmore et al, 2014), representing the most common musculoskeletal presentation in general practice, after lower back pain (Keavy et al, 2022).
Reports of current practice suggest a discrepancy between care recommendations and the care that patients receive (Hagen et al, 2012; Runcimanet al, 2012, O’Leary et al, 2021). Improved implementation of evidence-based care, necessitates key stakeholder involvement focused on patient needs, interests, and goals (O’Cathain 2019 ). We can elucidate patients values surrounding chronic knee pain self-management and support GP care by better understanding stakeholder experience.
This study is embedded in an existing HRB funded Clinician Scientist Award project led by Dr Helen O’Leary. The aim is to gather the views of patient and GP stakeholders to identify and prioritise ways of improving aspects of current care for people with chronic knee pain (knee OA and degenerative meniscal tears), and inform future intervention development for this patient cohort.
Ethical approval was granted by the UL Education and Health Sciences REC (2023_02_20_EHS) and data was collected in Autumn 2023. Workshops were chaired by a clinician-researcher with a Physiotherapy background. Workshops with a group of patient stakeholders (n=6) were held in-person on two separate occasions. Patient stakeholders were aged 40-70 years, with experience of seeking treatment for non-traumatic knee pain recruited through physiotherapy practices. The workshops explored patient preferences regarding delivery of evidence-based care and sought to seek patient generated solutions regarding gaps in current care. The online GP workshop (n=6) was held subsequent to the patient workshops, and they reflected on findings from the patient consultation.