New Zealand Physiotherapists’ and General Practitioners’ Treatment Knowledge and Referral Decisions for Knee Osteoarthritis: A Vignette-Based Study
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O'Brien, DW
Siegert, RJ
Bassett, S
Baldwin, JN
Wright-St Clair, V
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Journal Article
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Physiotherapy New Zealand
Abstract
Physiotherapists’ and general practitioners’ (GPs) treatment knowledge affects the management of people with knee osteoarthritis (OA), but little is known about the OA referral decisions and treatment knowledge of these clinicians in New Zealand. Data were collected from New Zealand registered physiotherapists and GPs (n = 272) using an online vignette-based questionnaire. Approximately two-thirds (63%, n = 172) of participants stated they would likely refer the hypothetical patient with knee OA to another profession. Participants indicated they would refer the woman between the two professions (73%, n = 57 GPs would refer to a physiotherapist; 47%, n = 92 physiotherapists would refer to a GP). However, few participants indicated they would refer the woman to other health professionals (such as 19%, n = 52 would refer to a dietitian). The majority of participants reported they would recommend education (98%, n = 267), therapeutic exercises (92%, n = 251) and weight-loss advice (87%, n = 237) as treatments for knee OA. These results indicate that first-line knee OA treatment knowledge of New Zealand GPs and physiotherapists are generally in keeping within international guidelines. However, promoting interprofessional collaboration with other health professions, such as dietetics, and providing education regarding treatments not recommended for OA is needed to meet all first-line treatment recommendations.Description
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New Zealand physiotherapists’ and general practitioners’ treatment knowledge and referral decisions for knee osteoarthritis: A vignette-based study. (2023). New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy, 49(3), 118–126. https://doi.org/10.15619/NZJP/49.3.02
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The New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy is registered on Scopus, and since 2012, has offered Open Access publication of all content. Present and future journal articles are freely accessible as well as past journals that have been published from 2012 onwards. There are no author fees for publication.