 |
|
|
 |
Patient and Provider Factors Related to Comprehensive Arthritis Care in a Community Setting in Ontario, Canada
RICHARD H. GLAZIER, ELIZABETH M. BADLEY, JAMES G. WRIGHT, PETER C. COYTE, J. IVAN WILLIAMS, BART HARVEY, ANNETTE L. WILKINS, and GILLIAN A. HAWKER
ABSTRACT.
Methods. Eligible participants were ³ 55 years of age with hip and knee arthritis symptoms and disability. Comprehensive therapy was classified as a recommendation for exercise and weight loss (if required) and any pharmacotherapy. Results. Only one-half of participants received a recommendation for comprehensive therapy. Participants who had seen a specialist and a therapist were almost twice as likely to receive a recommendation for comprehensive therapy. Conclusion. In our setting, many people with hip or knee arthritis were not receiving even minimum recommended treatment. Changes in educational and organizational policies are needed to address this situation. (J Rheumatol 2003;30:1846-50) Key Indexing Terms:
OSTEOARTHRITIS
From Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, and the Arthritis Community Research and Evaluation Unit (ACREU), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Supported through grants from the Medical Research Council of Canada (MT-12919), The Arthritis Society (97-083), and Physicians' Services Foundation Incorporated (95-47), The Ontario Ministry of Health (Health System Linked funding to the Arthritis Community Research and Evaluation Unit), The Canadian Orthopaedic Foundation, and the University of Toronto Dean's Fund (00026896). R.H. Glazier, MD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Inner City Health Research Unit, St. Michael's Hospital, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, ACREU; E.M. Badley, DPhil, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, ACREU; J.G. Wright, MD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Departments of Surgery, Public Health Sciences, Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences; P.C. Coyte, PhD, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Health Services Chair, Canadian Health Services Research Foundation, Departments of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto; J.I. Williams, PhD, Toronto Rehabilitation Research Institute, Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto; B. Harvey, PhD, Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto; A.L. Wilkins, BA, ACREU; G.A. Hawker, MD, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Division of Rheumatology, Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre, Departments of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, ACREU, Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences. Address reprint requests to Dr. R.H. Glazier, Inner City Health Research Unit, St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8. E-mail: richard.glazier@utoronto.ca Submitted September 26, 2002; revision accepted January 30, 2003. |