Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34527976›Full record

ArticleThe Lancet regional health. Western Pacific2021

Trends in management of hip and knee osteoarthritis in general practice in Australia over an 11-year window: a nationwide cross-sectional survey.

Kim L Bennell, Clare Bayram, Christopher Harrison, Caroline Brand, Rachelle Buchbinder, Romi Haas, Rana S Hinman

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The Lancet regional health. Western Pacific, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 48 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
48citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
9.2field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

48 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 69 citations in OpenAlex.

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  17. Canadian journal of pain = Revue canadienne de la douleur · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Kim L BennellCentre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine, Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
Clare BayramMenzies Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Christopher HarrisonMenzies Centre for Health Policy, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Caroline BrandThe University of Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne hospital, Parkville Victoria 3010, Australia and Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, 3004, Victoria, Australia.
Rachelle BuchbinderMonash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Institute and Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 4 Drysdale St, Malvern, Victoria 3144, Australia.
Romi HaasMonash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Institute and Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, 4 Drysdale St, Malvern, Victoria 3144, Australia.
Rana S HinmanCentre for Health, Exercise and Sports Medicine, Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia.
Cabrini Hospital · AUThe University of Melbourne · AUThe University of Sydney · AUThe Royal Melbourne Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWe aimed to describe trends in knee and hip OA management by general medical practitioners (GPs) in Australia.

methodsWe analysed cross-sectional survey data from the Bettering the Evaluation and Care of Health (BEACH) program (1,000 randomly-selected GPs annually recording 100 consecutive patient encounters) over two periods: Period one April 1, 2005-March 31, 2010 and period two April 1, 2010-March 31, 2016. This included data from 10,738 GPs and 1,073,800 patient encounters with 6,565 GPs and 9,196 patient encounters for hip/knee OA. Data were summarized using descriptive statistics and 95% confidence intervals around point estimates.

findingsRate of knee OA problems managed by GPs increased in period two (7•1 (6•9-7•4) vs 6•2 (95% CI 6•0-6•5) per 1,000 all encounters), with a similar trend for hip OA. Encounter rates rose for some subgroups but remained stable for vulnerable subgroups. Although use of Medicare chronic disease management items, referral to allied health professionals and advice/education and lifestyle management (knee OA) increased, rates remained low. Use of MRI imaging rose. Overall medication rates were stable but substantially higher than non-pharmacological treatments. Declining reliance on non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and glucosamine and increased reliance on paracetamol (knee OA) and opioids were demonstrated.

interpretationGPs in Australia are more frequently managing knee and hip OA. While small changes in GP management actions occured, rates of recommended first-line non-pharmacological treatments remained low and imaging, medications, and surgical referral rates high. Strategies are needed to optimise lifestyle management and reduce low-value care, with attention to healthcare disparities.

fundingFunding was provided for this report by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Centre of Research Excellence in Translational Research in Musculoskeletal Pain (#1079078).

Indexed as

general practicehipkneeosteoarthritis

Identifiers

PMID34527976
PMCPMC8356093
OpenAlexW3167171733

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.