KNEE BRACES FOR KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS: A SCOPING REVIEW AND NARRARIVE SYNTHESIS OF INTERVENTIONS IN RANDOMISED CONTROLLED TRIALS.

OBJECTIVE: To identify and synthesise the content of knee bracing interventions in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of knee osteoarthritis (OA). DESIGN: In this scoping review, three electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane) were searched up to 10th June 2024. Nineteen previous systematic reviews of knee bracing for knee OA and four recent international clinical practice guidelines were also hand searched. Identified studies were screened for eligibility by two independent reviewers. Information on bracing interventions was extracted from included RCT reports, informed by Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) guidelines. Data were synthesised narratively. RESULTS: Thirty-one RCTs testing 47 different bracing interventions were included. Braces were broadly grouped as valgus/varus, patellofemoral, sleeve, neutral hinged, or control/placebo knee braces. Brace manufacturer and models varied, as did amount of recommended brace use. Only three interventions specifically targeted brace adherence. Information on brace providers, setting, number of treatment sessions, and intervention modification over time was poorly reported. Adherence to brace use was described for 32 (68%) interventions, most commonly via self-report. Several mechanisms of action for knee braces were proposed, broadly grouped as biomechanical, neuromuscular, and psychological. CONCLUSIONS: Many different knee brace interventions have been tested for knee OA, with several proposed mechanisms of action, a lack of focus on adherence, and a lack of full reporting. These issues may be contributing to the heterogeneous findings and inconsistent guideline recommendations about the clinical effectiveness of knee bracing for knee OA to date.

Evaluation of quality and readability of online patient information on osteoporosis and osteoporosis drug treatment and recommendations for improvement.

Patient information is important to help patients fully participate in their healthcare. Commonly accessed osteoporosis patient information resources were identified and assessed for readability, quality, accuracy and consistency. Resources contained inconsistencies and scored low when assessed for quality and readability. We recommend optimal language and identify information gaps to address. INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this paper is to identify commonly accessed patient information resources about osteoporosis and osteoporosis drug treatment, appraise the quality and make recommendations for improvement. METHODS: Patient information resources were purposively sampled and text extracted. Data extracts underwent assessment of readability (Flesch Reading Ease and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level) and quality (modified International Patient Decision Aid Standards (m-IPDAS)). A thematic analysis was conducted, and keywords and phrases were used to describe osteoporosis and its treatment identified. Findings were presented to a stakeholder group who identified inaccuracies and contradictions and discussed optimal language. RESULTS: Nine patient information resources were selected, including webpages, a video and booklets (available online), from government, charity and private healthcare providers. No resource met acceptable readability scores for both measures of osteoporosis information and drug information. Quality scores from the modified IPDAS ranged from 21 to 64% (7-21/33). Thematic analysis was informed by Leventhal's Common-Sense Model of Disease. Thirteen subthemes relating to the identity, causes, timeline, consequences and controllability of osteoporosis were identified. Phrases and words from 9 subthemes were presented to the stakeholder group who identified a predominance of medical technical language, misleading terms about osteoporotic bone and treatment benefits, and contradictions about symptoms. They recommended key descriptors for providers to use to describe osteoporosis and treatment benefits. CONCLUSIONS: This study found that commonly accessed patient information resources about osteoporosis have highly variable quality, scored poorly on readability assessments and contained inconsistencies and inaccuracies. We produced practical recommendations for information providers to support improvements in understanding, relevance, balance and bias, and to address information gaps.

Identifying and managing osteoporosis before and after COVID-19: rise of the remote consultation?

The COVID-19 pandemic is influencing methods of healthcare delivery. In this short review, we discuss the evidence for remote healthcare delivery in the context of osteoporosis. INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has undoubtedly had, and will continue to have, a significant impact on the lives of people living with, and at risk of, osteoporosis and those caring for them. With osteoporosis outpatient and Fracture Liaison Services on pause, healthcare organisations have already moved to delivering new and follow-up consultations remotely, where staffing permits, by telephone or video. METHODS: In this review, we consider different models of remote care delivery, the evidence for their use, and the possible implications of COVID-19 on osteoporosis services. RESULTS: Telemedicine is a global term used to describe any use of telecommunication systems to deliver healthcare from a distance and encompasses a range of different scenarios from remote clinical data transfer to remote clinician-patient interactions. Across a range of conditions and contexts, there remains unclear evidence on the acceptability of telemedicine and the effect on healthcare costs. Within the context of osteoporosis management, there is some limited evidence to suggest telemedicine approaches are acceptable to patients but unclear evidence on whether telemedicine approaches support informed drug adherence. Gaps in the evidence pertain to the acceptability and benefits of using telemedicine in populations with hearing, cognitive, or visual impairments and in those with limited health literacy. CONCLUSION: There is an urgent need for further health service evaluation and research to address the impact of remote healthcare delivery during COVID-19 outbreak on patient care, and in the longer term, to identify acceptability and cost- and clinical-effectiveness of remote care delivery on outcomes of relevance to people living with osteoporosis.

Quality and effectiveness of osteoporosis treatment decision aids: a systematic review and environmental scan.

Decision aids (DAs) are evidence-based tools that support shared decision-making (SDM) implementation in practice; this study aimed to identify existing osteoporosis DAs and assess their quality and efficacy; and to gain feedback from a patient advisory group on findings and implications for further research. We searched multiple bibliographic databases to identify research studies from 2000 to 2019 and undertook an environmental scan (search conducted February 2019, repeated in March 2020). A pair of reviewers, working independently selected studies for inclusion, extracted data, evaluated each trial's risk of bias, and conducted DA quality assessment using the International Patient Decision Aid Standards (IPDAS). Public contributors (patients and caregivers with experience of osteoporosis and fragility fractures) participated in discussion groups to review a sample of DAs, express preferences for a new DA, and discuss plans for development of a new DA. We identified 6 studies, with high or unclear risk of bias. Across included studies, use of an osteoporosis DA was reported to result in reduced decisional conflict compared with baseline, increased SDM, and increased accuracy of patients' perceived fracture risk compared with controls. Eleven DAs were identified, of which none met the full set of IPDAS criteria for certification for minimization of bias. Public contributors expressed preferences for encounter DAs that are individualized to patients' own needs and risk. Using a systematic review and environmental scan, we identified 11 decision aids to inform patient decisions about osteoporosis treatment and 6 studies evaluating their effectiveness. Use of decision aids increased accuracy of risk perception and shared decision-making but the decision aids themselves fail to comprehensively meet international quality standards and patient needs, underpinning the need for new DA development.

Implementing core NICE guidelines for osteoarthritis in primary care with a model consultation (MOSAICS): a cluster randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of a model osteoarthritis consultation, compared with usual care, on physical function and uptake of National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) osteoarthritis recommendations, in adults ≥45 years consulting with peripheral joint pain in UK general practice. METHOD: Two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial with baseline health survey. Eight general practices in England. PARTICIPANTS: 525 adults ≥45 years consulting for peripheral joint pain, amongst 28,443 population survey recipients. Four intervention practices delivered the model osteoarthritis consultation to patients consulting with peripheral joint pain; four control practices continued usual care. The primary clinical outcome of the trial was the SF-12 physical component score (PCS) at 6 months; the main secondary outcome was uptake of NICE core recommendations by 6 months, measured by osteoarthritis quality indicators. A Linear Mixed Model was used to analyse clinical outcome data (SF-12 PCS). Differences in quality indicator outcomes were assessed using logistic regression. RESULTS: 525 eligible participants were enrolled (mean age 67.3 years, SD 10.5; 59.6% female): 288 from intervention and 237 from control practices. There were no statistically significant differences in SF-12 PCS: mean difference at the 6-month primary endpoint was -0.37 (95% CI -2.32, 1.57). Uptake of core NICE recommendations by 6 months was statistically significantly higher in the intervention arm compared with control: e.g., increased written exercise information, 20.5% (7.9, 28.3). CONCLUSION: Whilst uptake of core NICE recommendations was increased, there was no evidence of benefit of this intervention, as delivered in this pragmatic randomised trial, on the primary outcome of physical functioning at 6 months. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN06984617.

Effect of a model consultation informed by guidelines on recorded quality of care of osteoarthritis (MOSAICS): a cluster randomised controlled trial in primary care.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effect of a model osteoarthritis (OA) consultation (MOAC) informed by National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommendations compared with usual care on recorded quality of care of clinical OA in general practice. DESIGN: Two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial. SETTING: Eight general practices in Cheshire, Shropshire, or Staffordshire UK. PARTICIPANTS: General practitioners and nurses with patients consulting with clinical OA. INTERVENTION: Following six-month baseline period practices were randomised to intervention (n = 4) or usual care (n = 4). Intervention practices delivered MOAC (enhanced initial GP consultation, nurse-led clinic, OA guidebook) to patients aged ≥45 years consulting with clinical OA. An electronic (e-)template for consultations was used in all practices to record OA quality care indicators. OUTCOMES: Quality of OA care over six months recorded in the medical record. RESULTS: 1851 patients consulted in baseline period (1015 intervention; 836 control); 1960 consulted following randomisation (1118 intervention; 842 control). At baseline wide variations in quality of care were noted. Post-randomisation increases were found for written advice on OA (4-28%), exercise (4-22%) and weight loss (1-15%) in intervention practices but not controls (1-3%). Intervention practices were more likely to refer to physiotherapy (10% vs 2%, odds ratio 5.30; 95% CI 2.11, 13.34), and prescribe paracetamol (22% vs 14%, 1.74; 95% CI 1.27, 2.38). CONCLUSIONS: The intervention did not improve all aspects of care but increased core NICE recommendations of written advice on OA, exercise and weight management. There remains a need to reduce variation and uniformly enhance improvement in recorded OA care. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN06984617.

Current evidence on risk factors for knee osteoarthritis in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of pain and disability and leads to a reduced quality of life. The aim was to determine the current evidence on risk factors for onset of knee pain/OA in those aged 50 and over. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted of cohort studies for risk factors for the onset of knee pain. Two authors screened abstracts and papers and completed data extraction. Where possible, pooled odds ratios (OR) were calculated via random effects meta-analysis and population attributable fractions (PAFs) derived. 6554 papers were identified and after screening 46 studies were included. The main factors associated with onset of knee pain were being overweight (pooled OR 1.98, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.57-2.20), obesity (pooled OR 2.66 95% CI 2.15-3.28), female gender (pooled OR 1.68, 95% CI 1.37-2.07), previous knee injury (pooled OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.91-4.19). Hand OA (pooled OR 1.30, 95% CI 0.90-1.87) was found to be non-significant. Smoking was found not to be a statistically significant risk or protective factor (pooled OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.83-1.01). PAFs indicated that in patients with new onset of knee pain 5.1% of cases were due to previous knee injury and 24.6% related to being overweight or obese. Clinicians can use the identified risk factors to identify and manage patients at risk of developing or increasing knee pain. Obesity in particular needs to be a major target for prevention of development of knee pain. More research is needed into a number of potential risk factors.

Risk factors for onset of osteoarthritis of the knee in older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) is common in older adults. Determination of risk factors for onset of knee OA may help in its prevention. The objective of this systematic review, and meta-analysis, was to determine the current evidence on risk factors for knee OA. DESIGN: A systematic literature search was carried out for cohort and case-control studies evaluating the association of demographic, comorbid, and other patient-determined factors with onset of knee OA. A scoring tool was developed to assess the quality of studies. Heterogeneity of studies was examined. Where possible studies were pooled to give an overall estimate of the association of factors with onset of knee OA. RESULTS: Of the 2233 studies screened, 85 were eventually included in the review. Study quality tended to be moderate. The main factors consistently associated with knee OA were obesity (pooled OR 2.63, 95% CI 2.28-3.05), previous knee trauma (pooled OR 3.86, 95% CI 2.61-5.70), hand OA (pooled OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.05-2.10), female gender (pooled OR 1.84 95% CI 1.32-2.55) and older age. Smoking appeared to have a moderate protective effect, however this was not evident once the analysis was restricted to cohort studies only. CONCLUSIONS: Whilst certain factors have been extensively reviewed (for example, body mass index), more longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the association of physical occupational and other patient-determined factors with future knee OA. The quality of such studies also needs to be improved. However, there are identifiable factors which can be targeted for prevention of disabling knee pain.

Catching and killing of airborne SARS-CoV-2 to control spread of COVID-19 by a heated air disinfection system.

Airborne transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) via air-conditioning systems poses a significant threat for the continued escalation of the current coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. Considering that SARS-CoV-2 cannot tolerate temperatures above 70 °C, here we designed and fabricated efficient filters based on heated nickel (Ni) foam to catch and kill SARS-CoV-2. Virus test results revealed that 99.8% of the aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 was caught and killed by a single pass through a novel Ni-foam-based filter when heated up to 200 °C. In addition, the same filter was also used to catch and kill 99.9% of Bacillus anthracis, an airborne spore. This study paves the way for preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other highly infectious airborne agents in closed environments.

The influence of consulting primary care on knee pain in older people: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether consulting a general practicioner (GP) in the 3 years after reporting knee pain is linked to better knee pain outcomes (reduced presence or severity of knee pain) at the end of the 3 year period. METHODS: We undertook a population-based cohort study linking baseline (2000) and follow-up (2003) surveys to primary care medical records. The cohort comprised 1577 adults aged 50 and over registered at 3 general practices in North Staffordshire, UK, who reported knee pain in a baseline survey. The main outcome measures were self-reported prevalence of knee pain and severity of knee pain in the follow-up survey. The relationship between consultation and future knee pain status was adjusted for an individual's propensity to consult given related demographic and health-related factors. RESULTS: In persons who consulted for knee pain, 91% reported knee pain at 3 years, compared with 73% of those who did not consult (adjusted odds ratio (OR) 2.25; 95% CI 1.56 to 3.26). Among persons reporting severe knee pain or disability at baseline (n=669), those who consulted for knee pain were more likely to report severe knee pain or disability at 3 years than those who did not consult (82% v 65%, adjusted OR 1.93; 95% CI 1.27 to 2.93). CONCLUSIONS: Older adults with knee pain continue to have persistent problems regardless of whether they consult primary care or not. Further research is needed to identify more effective means of reducing the burden of knee pain in the community.

Predictors of onset and progression of knee pain in adults living in the community. A prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate determinants of the onset and progression of knee pain in a population-based sample of people aged > or = 50 yrs. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 2982 people registered with three general practices in North Staffordshire, UK. Using questionnaire surveys at baseline and 3 yrs, demographic, knee-related and general health factors were assessed for their relationship with onset of new knee pain, and progression from non-severe to severe knee pain. RESULTS: Response rates were 77% (baseline) and 75% (follow-up). Baseline factors significantly associated with onset of knee pain were knee injury [odds ratio (OR) 1.6, 95% CI 1.2, 2.2], depression (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.1, 1.8), widespread pain (OR 1.5, 95% CI 1.1, 1.9 compared with no pain) and younger age. Onset of severe knee pain was associated most strongly with obesity (OR 2.9, 95% CI 1.7, 5.1) and physical limitations (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.5, 4.1), and with widespread pain, older age, female gender and comorbidity. The strongest independent predictors of progression from non-severe to severe knee pain were chronicity (OR 3.1, 95% CI 2.1, 4.6), previous use of health care (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.5, 3.3) and obesity (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.2, 3.6). CONCLUSION: In addition to a focus on obesity, there is potential for primary prevention of knee pain by tackling knee injuries and treating depression. Other factors are likely to determine whether the knee pain then progresses. An area for future research is the ineffectiveness of current health care in halting or reversing progression of knee pain at a population level.

Evidence flowers: An innovative, visual method of presenting "best evidence" summaries to health professional and lay audiences.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Barriers to dissemination and engagement with evidence pose a threat to implementing evidence-based medicine. Understanding, retention, and recall can be enhanced by visual presentation of information. The aim of this exploratory research was to develop and evaluate the accessibility and acceptability of visual summaries for presenting evidence syntheses with multiple exposures or outcomes to professional and lay audiences. METHODS: "Evidence flowers" were developed as a visual method of presenting data from 4 case scenarios: 2 complex evidence syntheses with multiple outcomes, Cochrane reviews, and clinical guidelines. Petals of evidence flowers were coloured according to the GRADE evidence rating system to display key findings and recommendations from the evidence summaries. Application of evidence flowers was observed during stakeholder workshops. Evaluation and feedback were conducted via questionnaires and informal interviews. RESULTS: Feedback from stakeholders on the evidence flowers collected from workshops, questionnaires, and interviews was encouraging and helpful for refining the design of the flowers. Comments were made on the content and design of the flowers, as well as the usability and potential for displaying different types of evidence. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence flowers are a novel and visually stimulating method for presenting research evidence from evidence syntheses with multiple exposures or outcomes, Cochrane reviews, and clinical guidelines. To promote access and engagement with research evidence, evidence flowers may be used in conjunction with other evidence synthesis products, such as (lay) summaries, evidence inventories, rapid reviews, and clinical guidelines. Additional research on potential adaptations and applications of the evidence flowers may further bridge the gap between research evidence and clinical practice.

The feasibility and acceptability of a physical activity intervention for older people with chronic musculoskeletal pain: The iPOPP pilot trial protocol.

INTRODUCTION: This pilot trial will inform the design and methods of a future full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) and examine the feasibility, acceptability and fidelity of the Increasing Physical activity in Older People with chronic Pain (iPOPP) intervention, a healthcare assistant (HCA)-supported intervention to promote walking in older adults with chronic musculoskeletal pain in a primary care setting. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The iPOPP study is an individually randomized, multicentre, three-parallel-arm pilot RCT. A total of 150 participants aged ≥65 years with chronic pain in one or more index sites will be recruited and randomized using random permuted blocks, stratified by general practice, to: (i) usual care plus written information; (ii) pedometer plus usual care and written information; or (iii) the iPOPP intervention. A theoretically informed mixed-methods approach will be employed using semi-structured interviews, audio recordings of the HCA consultations, self-reported questionnaires, case report forms and objective physical activity data collection (accelerometry). Follow-up will be conducted 12 weeks post-randomization. Collection of the quantitative data and statistical analysis will be performed blinded to treatment allocation, and analysis will be exploratory to inform the design and methods of a future RCT. Analysis of the HCA consultation recordings will focus on the use of a checklist to determine the fidelity of the iPOPP intervention delivery, and the interview data will be analysed using a constant comparison approach in order to generate conceptual themes focused around the acceptability and feasibility of the trial, and then mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework to understand barriers and facilitators to behaviour change. A triangulation protocol will be used to integrate quantitative and qualitative data and findings.

Mobile medics? The mobility of doctors in the European Economic Area.

The Treaty of Rome seeks to generate a common European market whereby all barriers to the free movement of produce, capital, services and labour are removed. Current EU policy on the free movement of labour requires that healthcare workers, who are EU citizens and meet certain training criteria, have the right to register to practice in member states other than the one in which they trained. This policy is underpinned by the EEC Directives. For example, the Medical Directive 93/16/EEC describes the framework for the mutual recognition of medical diplomas, certificates and other evidence of qualifications through out the European Economic Area (EEA). The potential impact of this for health policy is clear-workforce planning and the demand for doctors, (and also nurses and other health care professionals), could be particularly affected by new forces impacting on their supply. This paper reports on the reality of labour mobility today, and on the factors upon which mobility depends, by the means of a case study which, investigated the movement into UK of doctors from the EEA. At a formal level there is mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of qualifications. However, formal and 'real life' recognition could be in tension equating in policy terms to an implementation deficit. As a result, there is a 'mixed picture' which makes predicting the future (both for individual countries and for the European Union) even more difficult. Furthermore, different policy objectives have to be reconciled. Do we want high mobility; or do we want to preserve national manpower planning?

Workforce planning. Catching the drift.

NHS workforce planning has traditionally ignored the role of doctors and nurses trained in continental Europe and Scandinavia. At present doctors trained in the European Economic Area make up 10 per cent of senior house officers in England and Wales. But the numbers coming to the UK are falling. Falling medical unemployment in Europe will mean these doctors have less incentive to come to the UK, leaving a considerable gap in the NHS workforce. More local research is needed into working patterns and career plans of European-trained nurses and doctors.

Osteoarthritis as a public health problem: the impact of developing knee pain on physical function in adults living in the community: (KNEST 3).

OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of newly developed knee pain on general health and physical function of people >or=50 yrs living in the community. METHODS: Prospective cohort study of 3907 people aged 50+ registered with three general practices in North Staffordshire, in the UK. The main outcome measures were self-reported knee pain; general health and physical function as measured by the Short Form 36 (SF-36). RESULTS: Of those with no knee pain at baseline, 24% (n = 501) reported it at follow-up. There was a steep decline in physical function in this group (mean fall in SF-36 score at follow-up 10.3 points) compared with the 1558 persons who had no knee pain at baseline or follow-up (mean fall 3.3). Those with knee pain at baseline whose pain had resolved at 3-yr follow-up (n = 409) showed only minor improvements in physical functioning scores at follow-up (mean improvement -1.3). CONCLUSIONS: The onset of knee pain is associated with a substantial and persistent reduction of physical function in older adults living in the community. Since knee pain is common, and reduced physical function in mid to older ages is a strong predictor of future disability and dependency, effective prevention or early treatment of knee pain at these ages is likely to have a major influence on healthy ageing in the population.

Primary care treatment of knee pain--a survey in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the treatment of knee pain in older adults in primary care and to compare reported practice with published evidence. METHODS: A semi-structured interview of older adults with knee pain about their use of 26 interventions for knee pain. RESULTS: 201 adults were interviewed. A median of six interventions had been advised for each participant, with heat and ice (84%) the most frequently advised, followed by paracetamol (71%), compound opioid analgesics (59%) and non-selective non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (59%). Three core treatments for knee pain (written information, exercise and weight loss) were advised to 16%, 46% and 39% of the participants, respectively. Half of the interventions had been initiated through 'self care'. Most core treatments had not been initiated before second-line interventions had been used, paracetamol being the exception. Referral to surgery was commonly initiated before more conservative options had been tried. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions recommended as core treatment for knee pain in older adults were underused-in particular, exercise, weight loss and the provision of written information. There appeared to be early reliance on pharmacological treatments with underuse of non-pharmacological interventions in early treatment choices. Self care played an important role in the management of this condition. The study provides clear evidence on the need to improve the delivery of core treatments for osteoarthritis and highlights the need to support and encourage self care.

A brief screening tool for knee pain in primary care (KNEST). 2. Results from a survey in the general population aged 50 and over.

OBJECTIVE: To use a brief screening tool to identify knee pain (all knee pain, non-chronic and chronic knee pain) and associated health-care use in the general population aged 50 yr and over. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was mailed to 8995 individuals registered with three general practices in North Staffordshire, UK. The questionnaire included a Knee Pain Screening Tool (KNEST), the Short Form 36 (SF36), demographic questions and, for those who reported knee pain, the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). RESULTS: The survey achieved a 77% response. The 12-month period prevalence of all knee pain was 46.8% [95% confidence interval (CI) 45.6%, 48.0%]. Figures for non-chronic knee pain (pain of less than 3 months duration) and chronic knee pain (pain of more than 3 months duration) were 21.5% (95% CI 20.5%, 22.5%) and 25.3% (95% CI 24.3%, 26.4%) respectively. An estimated 6% of the older population had non-chronic but severe knee pain or disability. Thirty-three per cent of all knee pain sufferers had consulted their general practitioner (GP) about their symptom in the last year. This included 34% of those with non-chronic but severe knee pain or disability and 56% of those with chronic and severe knee pain or disability. The use of private treatments or services for knee pain was minimal. A third of those with chronic and severe knee pain or disability had not used any services (including GP) in the last year. CONCLUSIONS: The KNEST is a simple tool for the identification of individuals with knee pain and their health-care use. Focusing only on chronic knee pain will underestimate the total need and demand for health-care in knee pain sufferers in the general older population, as non-chronic as well as chronic knee pain has a significant impact on people's lives and on their use of primary health-care. The KNEST, when combined with the WOMAC, identifies population groups who have potentially diverse health-care needs and who might benefit from effective health-care. These data can be used alongside evidence on effective treatments by service planners when considering needs for the care of older adults in primary care.

A brief screening tool for knee pain in primary care. 1. Validity and reliability.

OBJECTIVES: To design and test the performance of a new knee pain screening tool (KNEST), both separately and together with a combination of existing questionnaires, which will be used to assess the general health status of knee pain sufferers in primary care. METHODS: A postal survey of knee pain and disability was sent to a random sample of 240 individuals aged over 55 yr registered with two general practices in North STAFFORDSHIRE: The survey questionnaire consisted of the KNEST; a pain manikin; the Short Form 36 (SF-36); the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS); demographic questions; and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) for those who reported knee pain. A second, identical questionnaire was sent 2 weeks later to a random subsample of responders (n=80) to test repeatability. RESULTS: An 85% baseline response rate was achieved for the first questionnaire. The 12-month prevalence of knee pain identified from baseline responders to the survey was 45%. A response rate of 74% was achieved for the repeatability questionnaire. Each section of the questionnaire was well completed and repeatability was good for nearly all measures (most reliability scores exceeded 0.6). A new core question about knee pain showed good internal reliability, with an agreement score of 91% between baseline and retest assessment, and good construct validity in relation to knee pain identified on the pain manikin (agreement 95%). Good agreement was found between recalled consultation for knee pain in the questionnaire and evidence of consultation for knee pain in general practice records. CONCLUSIONS: The KNEST appears to be a reliable and valid composite tool for the study of population needs and outcomes of care for people aged over 55 yr with knee pain.

Postal surveys in primary care: the hidden burden.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and analyse concerns raised by unsolicited mailing of a health survey to a community sample of older people. DESIGN: Observation and monitoring of all telephone calls received throughout a 6-week survey mailing period. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A total sample of all those aged over 50 years registered with three general practices in North Staffordshire (n=8995). MAIN VARIABLE STUDIED: The frequency of telephone contact following the receipt of a postal questionnaire, and the nature of any associated distress. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who receive unsolicited postal surveys may experience anxiety because of the actual receipt of the questionnaire, concerns about taking part or not taking part, personal issues, anger, worthiness or frustration with NHS services. Anxiety may also be triggered because of administrative issues, for example lost mail or overlap between mailing periods. Researchers can adopt measures both to reduce the potential anxiety and often hidden burden of postal surveys, and to facilitate individuals' positive participation in research.