What patient-specific factors can potentially affect physiotherapy attendance of patients with knee OA at a local hospital in Singapore?

Abstract

Background: Improvements for knee osteoarthritis (OA) care models are carried out widely. Yet, patient attendance behaviours in present care models are not fully understood, without the readily available localised evidence.

Objective: Hence, we examined the relationships of patient-specific factors with the physiotherapy attendance for patients with knee OA.

Methods: A retrospective, cohort study was conducted. Primary data from a randomised controlled trial of a community-based, individualised, multidisciplinary programme for patients with knee OA was analysed. Patient-specific factors like demographics, medical factors, self-reported knee function, physical function testing, activity levels and psychological factors were considered. We ran multiple ordered logistic models to examine the relationships between these factors and patients' physiotherapy attendance.

Results: We found that factors like gender, BMI, pain during physical function, previous knee injections and psychological symptoms were associated with the physiotherapy attendances of patients with knee OA.

Conclusion: There's evidence to suggest that patient-specific factors are associated with different levels of physiotherapy attendance among the patients with knee OA. Our results further the understanding of physiotherapy attendance patterns of patients with knee OA, and reinforces the need to consider these factors when developing informed treatment strategies that optimises the physiotherapy attendance of these patients.