What Do Women (With Serious Knee Injury) Want to Know About Knee Health? Identifying Research Priorities With a Consumer Advisory Group.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To (1) establish a women's knee health consumer advisory group (CAG) via an evidence-informed process and (2) identify the CAG's research priorities to inform future projects. DESIGN: Mixed-methods priority-setting study. METHODS: The CAG was established, grounded in a participatory action research approach and using the Patient Engagement in Research Framework, to inform a 4-phase process: (1) understand, (2) plan, (3) undertake, and (4) evaluate. We identified the CAG's priorities for knee health research via a mixed-methods approach using the nominal group technique (NGT). We adopted a constructivist epistemology, using reflexive thematic analysis to construct codes and themes inductively. RESULTS: Six women (mean age of 35 years) joined the CAG, generating, reviewing, and discussing 70 ideas during NGT phases 1 to 3. We constructed 14 codes, grouped into 3 key themes: (1) best practice management and support for serious knee injury and rehabilitation, (2) social and gendered factors; and (3) physical, psychological, and personal factors. Voting and ranking (NGT phases 3-6) revealed the CAG's highest priority for future research was "Knowledge of, and access to specialised knee rehabilitation and practitioners." CONCLUSION: Establishing a CAG was an achievable and novel approach to identifying consumer priorities to enhance women's knee health outcomes. Women wanted improved access to information and best-practice care via genuine therapeutic relationships with practitioners who understand the gendered-social rehabilitation environment. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2025;55(2):1-14. Epub 15 January 2025. doi:10.2519/jospt.2025.12869.