The overarching themes indicated people with osteoarthritis delay their diagnosis , opting for self-management and informal information gathering .
This informal rather than health professional-led guidance is sought and maintained as an important re source throughout the care of this population and is valued .
There remains uncertainty regarding when this is required , but the expected failure of conservative treatment to manage pain and symptoms is common .
This may provide a more valuable perception of non-operative management to promote its adoption and adherence in managing osteoarthritis
Abstract This paper determines the perceptions of people diagnosed with osteoarthritis towards their conservative management strategies .
Capturing lay perspectives in a randomized control trial of a health promotion intervention for people with osteoarthritis of the knee.
Osteoarthritis ( OA ) is a common and often disabling condition that predominately affects older adults . It is the commonest cause of locomotor disability and forms a major element of the workload in primary care . Previous studies suggest that there are both deficits in the knowledge patients have about their disease and extensive ' unmet ' information needs . This paper explores the patients ' perspective on the meaning and significance of living with arthritis , identified through quantitative and qualitative approaches undertaken during a trial that evaluated the effectiveness of a primary care-based patient education programme . This paper draws on qualitative and quantitative data from : the baseline interview ( knowledge of arthritis , satisfaction with services and support received in primary care ) ; patient diaries ( individual goals and reflections on treatment ) ; and group teaching sessions ( themes describing the patient 's experience ) . The different data sources were interrogated for common and divergent themes . One hundred and ninety-four participants were identified and 170 completed baseline interviews . Participants were predominantly female ( 73 % ) , with a mean age of 63 and arthritis of long-st and ing ; 55 % reported that they had had it for 5 years or more .  Use of primary care services was high , with 41 % consulting their GP in the 2 weeks before interview . Levels of information were low , with less than 25 % receiving support/advice about the disease , pain management or its impact upon daily life . Set against negative perceptions of the quality of services , patients ' personal priorities were for improved pain management and enhanced mobility/functional ability . The combined quantitative and qualitative data provide insight into the patients ' perspective on the causes and impact of knee OA , individual goals desired from treatment and the quality of care . There is consistent evidence of unmet needs for information and support and the priority placed by patients on finding strategies to cope with OA and maintaining independence . Even within a tightly defined study sample participating in the intervention , a diversity of experience and goals were revealed , which highlights the importance of taking account of context ual factors and individual differences when evaluating complex interventions
The overarching themes indicated people with osteoarthritis delay their diagnosis , opting for self-management and informal information gathering .
This informal rather than health professional-led guidance is sought and maintained as an important re source throughout the care of this population and is valued .
There remains uncertainty regarding when this is required , but the expected failure of conservative treatment to manage pain and symptoms is common .
This may provide a more valuable perception of non-operative management to promote its adoption and adherence in managing osteoarthritis
Abstract This paper determines the perceptions of people diagnosed with osteoarthritis towards their conservative management strategies .