Authors (including presenting author) :
Chu FYA, Cheng WFJ, Chow KYK, Lee WYA, Leung PYP, Poon MWY
Affiliation :
Physiotherapy Department, The Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital
Introduction :
Physiotherapy Department of Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital started the Structured Non-surgical Treatment Program(SNTP) for patients with knee osteoarthritis since July 2024. The aim is to provide symptoms management, regular monitoring on symptoms and physical functions for patients with knee osteoarthritis through systematic exercise and self-management techniques in a four-year time frame. Conventional physiotherapy session together with knee educational class will be provided for enhancing patients ‘understanding on disease pathology and progression and empowering them on self-management skill. Therapeutic home exercise program together with community knee exercise map will be provided to promote their exercise habits with the use of community accessible exercise resources. Incorporating telehealth service to the program, tele-knee class was provided to allow flexibility and option to patients and their caregivers for minimizing their travelling needs.
Objectives :
To assess the effectiveness of hybrid mode of care, combining telehealth and conventional physiotherapy, in improving clinical outcomes for patients enrolled in SNTP.
Methodology :
A retrospective review was employed for the cases that had completed the first year of SNTP training within the period of August to December 2024. A total of eighty-three patients (mean age 69.9) completed the first year of training in the SNTP. Among these patients, 12 (mean age 64.8) attended tele-knee educational class in conjunction with conventional physiotherapy, and this group was considered for subgroup analysis. Treatment effects were evaluated by Numeric Pain Rating Scale(NPRS), Numeric Global Rating of Change Scale(NGRCS) and 30-Second Chair Stand Test. The statistical analyses included Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test for within-group comparisons.
Result & Outcome :
The average number of physiotherapy session attended by all patients was 7.4 sessions. Significant improvements were observed between initial and final assessments in terms of NPRS (mean change: -2.1; p<0.001), NGRCS (mean change: +4.7; p<0.001) and 30-Second Chair Stand Test (mean change: +2.5; p<0.001). For subgroup analysis on those patients attending tele-knee class, significant improvements in all outcomes were also shown (p<0.05). Regarding their experiences on telehealth, all patients were satisfied with the content and accessibility. SNTP effectively improved clinical outcomes for patients with knee osteoarthritis, demonstrating significant reductions in pain and enhancements in physical function. The hybrid mode of care, integrating tele-educational classes with conventional physiotherapy, produced similar clinical outcomes. With telehealth service, it can provide patient-centric care, enhance service accessibility and allow flexibility to patients and caregivers.
