The main purpose of this innovative programme was to see if the programme was feasible for patients and therapists when presented both in-person and virtually and to compare the outcomes weight loss, pain, stiffness, function, and quality of life in overweight patients with knee OA. weight loss, pain, stiffness, function, and quality of life in overweight patients with knee OA. Secondary outcomes included attendance.
Participants were recruited in two phases from the primary/secondary care interface waiting list between September 2020 and April 2022, a ‘virtual’ group of patients and an additional ‘in person’ group. The ARMED programme was usual care ESCAPE pain progamme supplemented by a dietetic programme, which was designed by the dietitian.
Outcome measurements for both groups were completed pre intervention, at week 6 and at week 12. included Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMBS 2008), Height, Weight, BMI, Waist circumference, and adherence to the programme as measured by attendance.
We assessed were interested to explore differences in the responses between the usual care ESCAPEpain group and the ARMED interventions and between the virtual and real-time groups.
We used descriptive statistics to summarise the means and confidence intervals for both groups at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks.
For the primary analysis we used a mixed between-within subjects’ analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess if there was any difference between programmes on weight loss, pain, function, quality of life and mental well-being from baseline to six weeks post intervention and 12 weeks post intervention. We explored differences in the effect of virtual or real-time delivery of the programmes on the same outcomes using analysis of variance where the repeated measure was time, and the second factor virtual or real-time group allocation. All tests were two sided and the threshold for statistical significance was set at p0.05.
65 patients completed the programmes. 43 virtually (20 ARMED, 23 ESCAPE pain) and 22 In-Person (12 ESCAPE pain, 10 ARMED). A mixed methods analysis of variance found significant improvements in pain, function, and quality of life in all groups with no significant difference between virtual or in-person programmes. There was significant weight loss in the ARMED group Wilks Lambda =.883, F (2. 49) =3.24, p.05, with no significant change in weight for the ESCAPE pain group
The findings for weight loss with the ARMED programme both virtually and In- person,
Significant improvements in pain, function, and quality of life in both interventions supports the need for further evaluation of both in the knee osteoarthritis population
Integrated Care
Knee osteoarthritis
