Background/Purpose: Knee osteoarthritis (OA) has worse outcomes in racial/ethnic minorities. Yet, most of the qualitative studies include primarily Caucasian people with knee OA, with minimal or no representation of racial/ethnic minorities. Therefore, our objective was to examine patient perceived solutions to barriers to treatment of knee OA, in a diverse racial/ethnic group of people.

Methods: Nominal groups were conducted with consecutive patients with knee OA at a medical center clinic, oversampling for African Americans with knee OA. Participants discussed potential solutions and rank-ordered their concerns.

Results: Fourteen nominal groups with 48 knee OA patients were conducted with mean age, 60.6 years (standard deviation, 9.8) and knee OA duration, 7.8 years (sd, 5.4); 25% were men, and 46% were African American. The most frequently cited highly-ranked solutions were as follows:

1. More Research, New medications/treatments that are more effective and/or safer, and Restoration of the joint cartilage: Eight of the 14 groups listed this among their top concerns, and nine groups ranked this concern. It received 15% of all votes (43/288).

2. Early diagnosis: Two of the 14 groups listed this among their top concerns, and four groups ranked this concern. It received 7% of all votes (20/288). at an earlier stage.

3. Better and more effective Communication: Five of the 14 groups listed this among their top concerns, and five ranked this concern. It received 10% of all votes (29/288).

4. Public and in-clinic patient Education: Four of the 14 groups listed this among their top concerns, and five ranked this concern. It received 8% of all votes (22/288).

5. Motivation/behavioral modification: Four of the 14 groups listed this among their top concerns, and nine ranked this concern. It received 9% of all votes (26/288).

6. Team Approach: One of the 14 groups listed this among their top concerns, and four ranked this concern. It received 1% of all votes (2/288).

7. Personalized medicine: Six of the 14 groups listed this among their top concerns, and ten ranked this concern. It received 8% of all votes (24/288).

8. Cheaper and more affordable medications and treatments: Three of the 14 groups listed this among their top concerns, and four ranked this concern. It received 5% of all votes (15/288).

Conclusion: A diverse group of participants with knee osteoarthritis, including racial/ethnic minorities, identified several solutions to barriers to the effectiveness of current knee OA treatments. These solutions provide new knowledge. These solutions can also lead to the development of future interventions to improve the outcomes of people with knee OA.

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ACR Meeting Abstracts - https://acrabstracts.org/abstract/patient-perceived-solutions-to-the-treatment-barriers-in-knee-osteoarthritis-a-qualitative-study-from-a-diverse-patient-group-including-racial-ethnic-minorities/