The Knee-SCHOOL: a brief patient-centered multidisciplinary educational program for knee osteoarthritis

Area of Science:

• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Public Health
• Gerontology

Background:

• Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a prevalent condition causing significant disability and healthcare burden.
• Effective management strategies for KOA are crucial for improving patient outcomes and reducing societal costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the structure and educational components of the Knee-SCHOOL program.
• To evaluate the initial impact of this patient-centered, multidisciplinary educational intervention on KOA pain.

Main Methods:

• An observational prospective study was conducted at a rehabilitation center in Brazil.
• Fifty-five adults aged 50+ with KOA participated in three 4.5-hour educational sessions delivered by a multidisciplinary team.
• The program included supervised and home exercise components, with various health and lifestyle factors assessed.

Main Results:

• Participants experienced a significant reduction in mean pain intensity from 5.52 to 4.04 on the visual analogue scale (effect size 0.7).
• The program was well-received with no dropouts or adverse events reported.
• KOA negatively impacted sports, recreation, and quality of life, with high rates of obesity and inadequate diet among participants.

Conclusions:

• The Knee-SCHOOL program effectively utilized a multidisciplinary educational and exercise approach to address KOA pain.
• The intervention showed promise in managing KOA pain, although further studies are needed to assess its long-term effects.