Effects of patient education on knee joint injections and the impact on patient care and satisfaction in rural Guatemala

Abstract

Background: As the rates of osteoarthritis increase among the elderly population across the world, the number of intra-articular corticosteroid injections has also steadily increased. The objective of this research study was to compare the ratings of anxiety level, pain level, and education about glucocorticoid injections between the group who received expansive education about joint injections and the group who received minimal education about joint injections. Methods: Each participant was given a pre-injection survey allowing them to rate their anxiety level, pain level, prior education level on knee injections, and duration and severity of symptoms. Each participant completed a post-injection survey following the procedure. Rating data were analyzed using a paired t-test to compare each of the groups to themselves and unpaired t-tests were used to compare the two groups. Demographic and survey data were analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Statistical significance was noted when a paired t-test was run between pain levels before and after the knee injection was administered in group A and between pain levels before and after the knee injection was administered in group B (p<0.001). A paired t-test also showed statistical significance when comparing the educational levels before and after the knee injection was administered in group A (p=0.04). Conclusions: This research study showed that increased education on corticosteroid knee injections prior to the procedure demonstrated increased education on corticosteroid knee injections after the injection and decreased pain levels following the injection in participants with osteoarthritis in rural Guatemala.