RESEARCH REPORT PLATFORM PRESENTATION

DEVELOPMENT OF PATIENT EDUCATION PROGRAMME FOR WOMEN WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS IN SAUDI ARABIA. Al-Sobayel H^1,2, Holder-Powell H³, Kitchen S¹; ¹King’s College London, London, UK. ²King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. ³London South Bank University, London, UK

PURPOSE: Patient education is recommended as a first line management strategy for knee osteoarthritis (OA). For any programme to be effective it should be tailored to the needs of the target population. Most of the validated programmes are generic and designed for western populations and may not be suited or acceptable to those in different cultures. The aim of this project was therefore to develop and conduct an exploratory testing of a patient education programme (PEP) for women with knee OA in Saudi Arabia. RELEVANCE: The patient education programme was delivered in the native language of the target population (Arabic) as part of physical therapy services within the study health care facility. It was the first step to develop and promote self-management and client-centred care for this population in Saudi Arabia. PARTICIPANTS: The consented participants included (i) women with knee OA (age between 40 and 65 years) (n=25); (ii) family members (n=21) and (iii) Health care professionals (n=14). The programme content was also reviewed by a group of judges; women with knee OA (n=10), family members (n=5), health care professionals (n=5). An additional sample of Saudi women (n=35) with knee OA took part in the pilot testing. METHODS: The programme development consisted of four stages; (i) Need’s assessment to study the educational needs of the target population as perceived by women with knee OA (n=25), family members (21), and health care professionals (n=14); (ii) Programme development based on the needs’ assessment and literature (iii) Programme content review by a group of judges (n=20); (iv) Pilot testing of the programme with a sample of Saudi women with knee osteoarthritis (n=35). Semi-structured interviews were conducted in stages (i) and (iii). One-group-pre-post-intervention repeated measure design was applied in the fourth stage. Due to a lack of OA knowledge test in Arabic, a study was also conducted to develop and validate a knee OA knowledge questionnaire. This was used in combination with other validated tools (the Saudi Knee Function Scale and Physical Performance Tests) and semi-structured interviews to explore the acceptability and effectiveness of the developed programme. ANALYSIS: The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic framework approach while the quantitative data were analysed using frequency tables and non-parametric statistical measures to evaluate the variance and correlations. RESULTS: This initial work suggested that this group of Saudi women with knee OA have limited knowledge about their condition and its management, limited understanding of ‘self-management’, and no experience of educational programmes. Their perceived benefits from the pilot study of this PEP were considerable, and matched by improved knowledge. There were slight improvement in other aspects such as physical function, exercise behaviour, or joint protection. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this initial work suggests that a PEP that promotes self-management based on client’s educational needs is acceptable in this population in Saudi Arabia. IMPLICATIONS: This research was the first step towards introducing patient education for rheumatic conditions in physical therapy services in Saudi Arabia, which promotes self-management and client-centred care. KEYWORDS: Patient education – knee osteoarthritis – Saudi Arabia. FUNDING ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This research was part of the PhD project of the first author, who was sponsored by King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

ETHICS COMMITTEE: Research Ethics Committee at King’s College London (UK) and the Research Ethics Committee at King Khalid University Hospital (Saudi Arabia)