Article

Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is a major cause of disability in older adults.
However, there is limited research on the daily experience of living with knee
OA. We aimed to offer insight into the beliefs of patients with knee OA about
their illness and treatment. METHOD: Twenty-four semi-structured interviews were
conducted with 17 women and 7 men with physician-diagnosed knee OA, aged between
48 and 84 years (mean = 62, SD = 7). The audio-taped interviews lasted from 30
min to 1 h, and were transcribed verbatim. The data were subjected to thematic
analysis. The transcripts were independently coded by two researchers to increase
reliability of coding. RESULTS: Six themes were developed and two of these are
examined in further detail: (i) Illness representation and (ii) Beliefs about the
medical and surgical control of pain. Illness representation comprised beliefs
about people's understanding of OA and their pain experience, as well as
expectations about the course of illness. The second theme presented experiences
of limited pain relief and concerns about the use of drugs and surgery.
CONCLUSION: Exploring illness representations and beliefs about medical and
surgical control of pain may provide the basis for initiating psychological
interventions for people with knee OA. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: People
with knee OA place pain at the core of their living, and hold beliefs about knee
OA being an incurable disease of a progressive nature, linked to specific causal
factors. People with OA have concerns and worries about use of medication to
control pain, and are ambivalent towards relying on medical or surgical
interventions. Exploring and addressing patient illness beliefs and treatment
expectations may help improve concordance with and outcomes from intervention.

Langue : ANGLAIS