OA Guidebook

The Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre at Keele University has developed an OA Guidebook for use by people with Osteoarthritis and healthcare professionals.  The newly developed OA guidebook complements existing resources available to patients and practitioners such as the “Hands on” and “Topical Review” publications produced by Arthritis Research UK. 

The OA guidebook was developed to be more patient centred utilising patients’ experiences and narratives to influence the decision making required to offer the appropriate support to individuals with OA.  The guidebook combines best clinical and research evidence with patient experience and priorities.  It was developed in response to patients’ views that existing materials did not sufficiently include their own perspectives, and in particular the impact of OA on an individual’s feelings. As a result chapter 6 was developed in direct response to users.  The OA guidebook differs from conventional patient education materials in that it contains lay experiential as well as biomedical evidence based knowledge. It can be used in primary care consultations to guide discussions between health professionals and patients, and facilitate decision-making about treatments and/or self-management.

Members of the Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre User Group and Telford and Wrekin Arthritis Support Group, and health care practitioners from Cheshire and North Staffordshire shaped the content; whilst staff for Arthritis Research UK Primary Care Centre advised on the evidence base of the clinical information. 

Please click here to view the OA Guidebook.