Quality indicators for hip and knee osteoarthritis management in New Zealand: A patient survey

Abstract

Osteoarthritis is a prevalent and costly condition. Knowledge of the quality of care being offered to people with hip and knee osteoarthritis in New Zealand is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the quality of care being offered to people with hip and knee osteoarthritis in New Zealand, and to investigate common pathways of care. The OsteoArthritis Quality Indicator (osteoarthritis) questionnaire was administered to adults with hip and/or knee osteoarthritis, and participants were also asked to list the healthcare professionals they had consulted. Descriptive statistics with 95% confidence intervals were calculated. The study included 106 participants (87% female, n = 92; 94% European, n = 100). The mean OsteoArthritis Quality Indicator achievement rate was 50.2% (95% confidence intervals 41.0–59.7%). OsteoArthritis Quality Indicator achievement rates were lowest for weight reduction referral (8.6%; 3.7–17.8%) and daily activity aids assessment (18.5%; 10.2–31.0%), and highest for physical activity education (80.8%; 72.1–87.3%) and offering of paracetamol (80.0%; 71.3–86.6%). Following consultation with a general practitioner, 22% (n = 24) consulted orthopaedic surgeons while 15% (n = 17) consulted physiotherapists. The results suggest that implementation of evidence informed conservative treatments for osteoarthritis in primary care is suboptimal, although evidence from a larger representative sample is needed.