Osteoarthritis of the knee clinical care standard indicators: 8-Local arrangements to ensure that patients’ experience of the care that they receive for knee osteoarthritis is regularly measured and acted upon

Collection and usage attributes

The local arrangements should specify that patients’ experience of the care that they receive for knee osteoarthritis is regularly measured and acted upon. Measurement of patients’ experience should be in all aspects of care for knee osteoarthritis, including:

• assessment at initial presentation
• diagnosis
• education and self-management
• advice and support on joint protection, exercise and weight loss
• information and prescription/recommendation of medicines used to manage symptoms
• regularity of review and appropriate referral
• information about any surgical procedures being contemplated/recommended.

These measurements should occur regularly (i.e. at least once every three years) and should be undertaken using a validated questionnaire (which can be administered as a paper-based form; telephone, or online survey; or a face-to-face interview with the patient). Mechanisms should also be in place to act upon the results to improve care (RACGP 2010).

Healthcare settings where care is provided to patients with knee osteoarthritis that have documented evidence of local arrangements, such as a policy that specifies that patients’ experience of the care that they receive for knee osteoarthritis is regularly measured and acted upon, should record ‘Yes’. Otherwise, the healthcare setting should record ‘No’.

Representational attributes

Yes/No

Accountability attributes

Applicable setting: all healthcare settings where care is provided to patients with knee osteoarthritis, including primary care, specialist care, hospitals and community settings.

Source and reference attributes

Royal Australian College of General Practitioners 2010. Standards for general practices. Melbourne: RACGP.