Arthritis and rheumatism
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Arthritis and rheumatism · Aug 1997
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialEffects of self-care education on the health status of inner-city patients with osteoarthritis of the knee.
To evaluate a concise program of self-care education delivered by an arthritis nurse specialist as an adjunct to primary care for inner-city patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA). ⋯ Self-care education for inner-city patients with knee OA, delivered as an adjunct to primary care, was found to result in notable preservation of function and control of resting knee pain. The magnitude of the observed effects compares well with those of more labor-intensive and time-consuming intervention models. However, more sustained preservation of function and consistent effects on pain may require prolonged, more proactive followup, either by the patient educator or by a trained clinical assistant dedicated to the task of supporting self-care by patients with knee OA.