Occupational Therapy Practice Guidelines for Nonoperative Management of Osteoarthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Area of Science:

• Rheumatology
• Occupational Therapy
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Occupational therapy is crucial for individuals with osteoarthritis (OA) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
• Existing practice guidelines require adaptation for specific occupational therapy applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop evidence-based practice guidelines for occupational therapy practitioners supporting individuals with OA and RA.
• To adapt existing clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) for occupational therapy settings.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the ADAPTE methodology to systematically adapt existing CPGs.
• Extracted 53 evidence-based recommendations from seven selected CPGs.
• Evaluated CPG quality using AGREE II and AGREE-Recommendations Excellence instruments.

Main Results:

• Successfully adapted existing CPGs into occupational therapy-specific recommendations.
• Extracted 53 evidence-based clinical recommendations from seven CPGs.
• Developed six key action statements for targeted interventions.

Conclusions:

• Six action statements guide interventions in client education, self-management, psychosocial support, lifestyle, physical activity, occupation, and work participation.
• These guidelines facilitate personalized care for people with OA and RA.
• The practice guidelines support individuals with arthritis in living well with their chronic conditions.