Implementation of Models of Service Delivery Designed for the Management of People With Hip and/or Knee Osteoarthritis in Primary Care: A Scoping Review Protocol

Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis (HKOA) is a growing public health challenge, associated with high disability and socioeconomic burden. Current literature indicates that care provided to people with HKOA does not follow evidence-based recommendations, is sub-optimal, reactive, and fragmented. This suggests the need to develop structured approaches to guarantee high-value care and ensure the sustainability of healthcare systems. Models of Service Delivery (MoSD), that is, how a model of care should be adapted and implemented in a local setting or health service at an operational level, have been increasingly recognised as a potential solution to overcome this existing gap. However, the reporting on MoSD for the management of HKOA remains limited.

Therefore, this scoping review aims to map the existing literature on the development and implementation of MoSD for the management of HKOA in primary care, exploring how these models are organised and implemented in real-world settings.

This scoping review will be developed according to the Joanna Briggs Institute guidance and follow the PCC framework for the establishment of the eligibility criteria-Population (people with HKOA), Concept (MoSD for the management of HKOA), Context (primary care). A detailed search will be conducted in several health sciences (i.e., PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, CENTRAL, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science) and grey literature (i.e., Bielefeld academic search engine and MedNar Search Engine) databases. Studies with quantitative, qualitative or mixed-methods methodology published since 2000 will be considered for inclusion. Two researchers will independently perform screening of titles/abstracts and full texts, followed by data charting. Finally, the charted data will be analysed through a deductive content analysis and presented in graphic, diagrammatic or tabular form, accompanied by a narrative summary.

This scoping review may have important implications for HKOA care, providing a comprehensive overview of how care is currently organised and delivered. It will also highlight key opportunities and gaps in available primary care-based MoSD and inform their future design and implementation.