Comparison of Prescription Patterns for Knee Osteoarthritis
Author Information
Author(s): Richette Pascal, Hilliquin Pascal, Bertin Philippe, Carni Paolo, Berger Véronique, Marty Marc
Primary Institution: Univ Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris
Hypothesis
To compare the prescription modalities of general practitioners (GPs) and rheumatologists (RHs) for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to determine correlates with prescription of low-dose NSAIDs.
Conclusion
The study identified specialty-related variability in the management of knee OA, with GPs prescribing more NSAIDs and having patients with more severe conditions compared to RHs.
Supporting Evidence
- GPs prescribed low-dose NSAIDs more frequently than RHs.
- Patients of GPs had a higher mean pain level compared to those of RHs.
- GP patients more often had hypertension and diabetes mellitus.
Takeaway
Doctors who treat knee pain sometimes give different medicines based on whether they are a general doctor or a specialist, and patients treated by general doctors often have more severe pain.
Methodology
This was a national observational prospective study using questionnaires completed by GPs and RHs for their patients with knee OA.
Potential Biases
Participants may not have been representative of all GPs and RHs.
Limitations
The study may not be representative of all GPs and RHs due to the higher proportion of GPs participating.
Participant Demographics
Patients were primarily older adults with knee OA, with a significant proportion having comorbidities like hypertension and diabetes.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
95% CI 1.1-4.5
Statistical Significance
p<0.0001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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