Article

Physical and occupational therapy are beneficial for persons with
chronic arthritis; however, access is problematic. The goal was to examine issues
related to access to these services for patients with chronic arthritis. METHODS:
We used two data sources: 1) questionnaires sent to a random sample of 600 family
physicians and to all 85 rheumatologists in the province of Quebec; and 2)
interviews of 211 patients with physician-confirmed chronic arthritis recruited
from 34 primary care settings in Quebec. RESULTS: Only 11.5% of family physicians
and 31.7% of rheumatologists referred patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) to
rehabilitation, whereas 60.4% of family doctors referred patients with
osteoarthritis. Only 26.1% of patients felt that they required rehabilitation and
this was associated with lower self-efficacy (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.99) and
higher educational level (OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.01, 4.36). CONCLUSION: Family
physicians are less likely to refer patients with RA to therapy. Only about a
quarter of patients with chronic arthritis treated in primary care perceived the
need for these services. Efforts to improve arthritis care should address
education of physicians and patients regarding the benefits of rehabilitation and
there should be efforts to increase therapy resources in order to enhance access.

Langue : ANGLAIS