Despite growing evidence and specific guidelines, people with knee and hip osteoarthritis often do not receive appropriate care. This review aims to identify healthcare utilisation and its predictors to optimise existing services and identify unmet needs across different healthcare systems using Andersen’s Healthcare Utilisation Model as a reference.

We conducted a scoping review and included studies published between 2010 and 2023 that assessed the healthcare utilisation in people with osteoarthritis. We examined general practitioner and orthopaedist consultations, physiotherapy, medication, hospitalisation and emergency department visits.

PubMed, Livivo, Cochrane Library, CINAHL Complete and Web of Science were searched from January 2010 until November 2023. An updated literature search was conducted in December 2025.

We analysed the included studies by means of thematic analysis and descriptive representation of quantitative data.

The literature search identified 4228 articles, of which 2380 articles were included in the title/abstract screening after excluding duplicates. After the full-text screening of 97 articles, we included 39 (n=4 233 566) publications for data extraction and data synthesis. Most studies were conducted in the USA, Australia, Germany and the UK—few from Asia, Middle and South America and other European countries. Utilised healthcare services are general practitioner consultations (mean use: 43% of participants, n=6), opioid (36%, n=8) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use (42%, n=7), emergency department visits (27%, n=3), orthopaedic surgeon consultations (26%, n=4), total joint replacement surgery (26%, n=3), physiotherapy (14%, n=8), hospitalisation (11%, n=7) and psychotherapy (6%, n=2). Among predisposing characteristics, older age, female gender, ethnicity, high socioeconomic status, social support and fear of certain treatment options were related to higher healthcare utilisation. In those, gender (n=8 studies) and age (n=6 studies) were primarily discussed. Regarding enabling and need factors, increased healthcare utilisation is associated with urban residence and being insured as well as having pain and comorbidities.

Results vary between countries. Against the background of existing guidelines, there is a need for promoting the utilisation of non-surgical and non-pharmacological treatments, such as physiotherapy, which have proven to be effective. Special attention should be given to predictors when promoting appropriate healthcare utilisation. Addressing the identified predictors associated with healthcare utilisation may lead to more appropriate osteoarthritis care. Further research is needed to address healthcare stakeholders’ (physiotherapists, insurers, patients and practitioners) needs and roles in the process.

Protocol registration on PROSPERO (CRD42023475803).

To validate the cross-national psychometric properties of the Mental Health Quality of Life questionnaire (MHQoL) and to develop an open-source toolbox for its scoring, transformation and presentation.

Secondary analysis of data from a multicentre international randomised controlled trial (EMPOWER).

Workplace settings in small-sized and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and public sector organisations in Finland, Spain and the UK.

The sample included 564 employees: 122 from Finland, 114 from Spain and 328 from the UK. Most were white-collar workers in SMEs or public organisations, mainly in public administration, manufacturing, health/life sciences or higher education. Women were the majority (56%–91% across countries), and mean age ranged from 43 to 48 years.

No intervention was delivered for this analysis; data were drawn from baseline assessments.

Primary outcomes were internal consistency and construct validity of the MHQoL, evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha, measurement invariance testing and multilevel analyses of associations between MHQoL dimensions and its visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcomes were convergent validity, assessed through correlations between MHQoL scores and other mental health and quality of life measures (EuroQol 5-Dimension 5- level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index, Perceived Stress Scale-4 (PSS-4), Psychosocial Risk Scale, and World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5)).

The MHQoL showed good internal consistency across countries, with Cronbach’s alpha ranging from 0.741 in Finland to 0.806 in Spain (overall α=0.787). Measurement invariance across Finland, Spain and the UK supported construct validity. Multilevel regression analyses showed associations between MHQoL dimensions and the MHQoL-VAS, with strongest contributions from Self-Image, Daily Activities, Mood and Future. Convergent validity was supported by moderate to strong correlations between MHQoL, EQ-5D-5L and related mental health measures. An open-source R package and Shiny web application (‘MHQoL Toolbox’) were developed for scoring, transformation and visualisation

The MHQoL is a reliable and valid measure of mental health-related quality of life across countries. The MHQoL toolbox supports consistent, transparent implementation, facilitating use in research, clinical practice and economic evaluations.

NCT04907604.

Despite the high prevalence of chronic low back pain (cLBP), its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. Addressing modifiable psychosocial resources and health behaviours such as physical activity offers a promising avenue for reducing the impact of cLBP. Furthermore, although the relationship between physical activity and pain is theorised as a within-person process, previous research has primarily focused on between-person differences. In this article, we present the protocol for the prospective observational study PRIA (Psychologie und Rückengesundheit im Alltag), which is part of a larger interdisciplinary research consortium investigating preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of cLBP. Drawing on theories from health and pain psychology, the outlined study examines the interplay between different dimensions of cLBP and back health, physical activity and their psychosocial determinants within individuals in their everyday lives.

This prospective longitudinal study combines online questionnaires with ecological momentary assessment of health behaviours, cognitions, affect, social support and pain using a smartphone-based app (movisensXS) and continuous measurement of physical activity by accelerometry (movisens Move 4). Parameters will be recorded at baseline (T0), daily for the following 14 days (five times per day at 09:00, 12:00, 15:00, 18:00 and 21:00, resulting in up to 70 measurement occasions), 3 and 6 months later (T1 and T2). A total of 230 participants (115 individuals with cLBP and 115 without cLBP) aged 18–64 years will be enrolled. The associations between cLBP and the measured parameters will be examined using multilevel models.

The university’s ethics committee at the MSB Medical School Berlin approved the study on 8 March 2021 (approval number MSB-2021/59, amendment approved on 10 November 2023, amendment number MSB-2023/145). Ethical approval for the FOR 5177 initial screening was granted by Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (EA1/058/21). All participants provided written informed consent. The results of this research will be published in peer-reviewed international journals, presented at national and international conferences, and reported to the German Research Foundation.

DRKS00032978.

In Tanzania, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is underdiagnosed, and uptake of evidence-based care is suboptimal. Using an implementation science approach, an intervention was developed to address local barriers to care: the Multicomponent Intervention for Improving Myocardial Infarction Care in Tanzania (MIMIC).

This sequential cohort design trial was conducted in a single northern Tanzanian emergency department (ED). During the preintervention phase (February–August 2023) and the postintervention phase (September 2023–August 2024), adults presenting with chest pain and/or dyspnoea were prospectively enrolled and their ED care was observed. AMI was defined by the Fourth Universal Definition criteria. Telephone follow-ups were conducted to ascertain 30-day mortality. Pearson’s ² was used to compare care before and after MIMIC implementation.

A total of 275 participants were enrolled in the preintervention phase and 577 were enrolled in the postintervention phase. Following MIMIC implementation, significant increases were observed in ECG testing (89.4% of postintervention participants vs 55.3% preintervention, OR 6.82, 95% CI 4.79 to 9.79, p

The MIMIC intervention was associated with large increases in uptake of AMI testing, case identification and evidence-based treatment in a single Tanzanian ED. Multisite studies are needed to evaluate the effect of MIMIC on AMI care in diverse settings across Tanzania.

NCT04563546.

Guidelines for symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) dictate the initiation of conservative treatment (physical therapy, analgesics and intra-articular injections with corticosteroids) as a first line defence. When conservative treatment fails, the golden standard is invasive joint replacement surgery, but for a substantial group of patients who do not respond to the current conservative treatment, this is not (yet) indicated. The RADIOPHENOL study investigates if denervation of knee sensory (genicular) nerves can serve the gap between conservative and invasive treatment for younger patients and for patients who cannot undergo joint replacement surgery due to comorbid health conditions.

The RADIOPHENOL study is a multicentre unblinded randomised controlled trial with three parallel arms (1:1:1). In total, 192 patients with knee OA Kellgren-Lawrence grades 2–4 but not eligible for joint replacement according to the orthopaedic surgeon due to young age, old age and/or comorbidity or technical reasons are eligible and will be randomised to three groups of 64 patients. Group A: traditional radiofrequency ablation, group B: chemical neurolysis with phenol, group C: conservative medical management. Primary outcome is the Oxford Knee Score at 6 months. Secondary outcomes include Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, knee pain by numeric rating scale, physical functionality, health-related quality of life, mental health, change in medication use, predictive value of a diagnostic block, procedure time, patient discomfort score during the intervention and adverse events.

The protocol (V.2.0, 15 May 2023), was approved by the Ethics Committee of Amsterdam UMC (NL83410.018.22 – METC2022.0890) on 31 July 2023. We aim to publish our results in international peer-reviewed journals.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT06094660, including the WHO Trial Registration data set items. Registered on 20 October 2023, first patient enrolled on 27 November 2023.