Thinking differently: evidence on what patients want and need in an explanation about osteoarthritis

Purpose: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of pain and disability worldwide. Despite this and the existence of evidence-based guidelines, many patients and professionals lack clarity about the nature of OA and effective treatment strategies. Healthcare professionals often do not have the right words to help patients understand the condition. Patients can feel that their condition is being trivialised or can develop negative beliefs about osteoarthritis as a result. Self-management strategies, such as exercise and weight loss (if needed), are core, but commonly underused, management approaches. Updated 2022 UK NICE OA guidelines recommend that health care professionals advise people where they can find further information on osteoarthritis and how it develops, and information that challenges common misconceptions about the condition. The purpose of this study called Patient Explanation Package for OA (PEP OA) was to develop a new explanation for osteoarthritis to help people understand the condition and make sense of management approaches.