Abstract
BackgroundThe Good Life with osteoArthritis from Denmark (GLA:D®) program incorporates guideline-based patient education and exercise-therapy for osteoarthritis to implement guidelines into practice. We evaluated the implementation of GLA:D® for knee osteoarthritis within Australian physiotherapy practice using the RE-AIM QuEST (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance Qualitative Evaluation for Systematic Translation) framework.MethodsAustralian physiotherapists were trained and supported to deliver GLA:D® (2017-2019) and completed surveys before and after training to assess practices, beliefs about capabilities and confidence, and barriers and enablers to implementation. Patients participating in GLA:D® completed online baseline, 3-month (immediately post-treatment) and 12-month patient reported outcomes. Effective implementation was defined as within-subject moderate effect size (ES, ≥0.50) for average pain (100mm visual analogue scale) and knee osteoarthritis outcome score quality of life scores (KOOS-QoL), and small effect size (≥0.20) for health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L).ResultsReach: 1,064 physiotherapists (73% private) and 1,945 (79% private) from all states and territories consented to participation. Key barriers included out-of-pocket cost to patients, and program suitability for culturally and linguistically diverse communities. Effectiveness: Following training, more physiotherapists discussed treatment goals and the importance of weight management, and prescribed supervised, neuromuscular exercise. Patient outcomes at 3- and 12 months (n = 1,044 [54%] and 927 [48%]) reflected effective implementation, including reduced pain intensity (ES, 95%CI = 0.72, 0.62-0.84; and 0.65, 0.54-0.77), improved KOOS-QoL scores (0.79, 0.69-0.90; and 0.93, 0.81-1.04), and improved EQ-5D-5L scores (0.43, 0.31-0.54; and 0.46, 0.35-0.58). Seventy-three percent of participants reported minimal important changes for at least one of pain severity (≥ 15 mm), KOOS-QoL (≥ 15 points) or EQ-5D-5L (≥ 0.07 points). Adoption: GLA:D® was implemented at 297 sites (264 private, 33 public). Implementation: Most patients completed at least one education (90%), and 10 exercise-therapy (78%) sessions. Adequate staffing to support program delivery was a key enabler. Maintenance: Ninety-nine percent of sites (293/297) continued to offer the program in July 2020.ConclusionsTraining was associated with practice changes and widespread implementation of GLA:D® in Australia. Effective implementation, and clinically meaningful improvements in pain and quality of life for most participant, supports further work to scale up GLA:D® in Australia.
Program Evaluation of GLA:D® Australia: Physiotherapist Training Outcomes and Effectiveness of Implementation for People With Knee Osteoarthritis
