A qualitative study exploring the views of individuals with knee osteoarthritis on the role of physiotherapists in weight management: A complex issue requiring a sophisticated skill set

Researchers of this qualitative semi-structed telephone interview study aimed to assess the attitudes of people with knee osteoarthritis (OA) towards the role of physiotherapists in weight management of knee OA. Participants included 13 purposively sampled individuals with symptomatic OA who were considered overweight or obese based on their body mass index. The results indicated that although participants were receptive to physiotherapists taking on a weight management role within a multidisciplinary team, they were apprehensive about whether physiotherapists possessed the skill and scope necessary to address this complex issue. The findings underscore the importance of engagement by physiotherapists in important dialogue with patients, to understand how to integrate OA patients in weight management discussions.

Read more