Impact of a Health Education Program for Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis [OA] is a condition characterized by hyaline cartilage damage, changes in subchondral bone sclerosis, and osteophyte formation. It is one of the most common medical disabling problems in the world. This study was carried out at the Orthopedics Outpatient Department, at the Main General Hospital in Port Said on a sample of 60 patients having primary OA of the knee joints. They were divided into two groups of 30 patients each [control and experimental groups]. The tools of data collection consisted of 1] Personal characteristics, 2] A knee joints assessment from, which consisted of measurement of the knee rang of movement [ROM], knee muscles circumference, and muscle strength, 3] The Arthritis Impact Measurement Scale [AIMS], and 4] The Osteoarthritis Screening Index [OASI]. An educational program was developed based on review of literature and on the identified patient’s problems. It was implemented on the experimental group. The results showed statistical significant improvements in the ROM, muscle strength, and health outcomes using as indicated by AIMS and OASI in the intervention group after program implementation. There were no noticeable changes in the control group as compared to baseline results. Statistically significant positive correlations were found among all used scales. The strongest correlation was between pain and depression. Therefore, it was concluded that this health education program for patients with knee OA had a positive impact on their health. The success of the program might be attributed to giving information suitable to patient education level. It is recommended that the program experimented in this study be replicated with OA patients in different settings and larger numbers. Teaching programs should be provided in illustrated booklets for patients and their relatives.