Determining the compliance with the guidelines of physio- therapists’ knowledge levels and attitudes regarding the treatment approach of early osteoarthritic patients in Turkey

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the compliance with the current evidence-based perspective by revealing the evaluation and treatment approaches, knowledge levels and treatment preferences in early knee osteoarthritis rehabilitation from physiotherapists in Turkey; Methods: A 2-part questionnaire (30 questions, 5 minutes filling time) was created by researchers. The questionnaire was sent to 112 physiotherapists via Google Forms to the mobile application group of the Turkish Physiotherapists Association; Results: The evaluation methods preferred by physiotherapists at the first physiotherapy visit are palpation (100%), muscle strength (100%) and gait analysis (94.64%). Their preferences for a single basic treatment application are electrophysical agents (EPA) use (25.89%), strengthening exercises (24.11%), and weight control (18.75%). Additional method preferences are EPA (79.46%), cold application (70.54%) and weight control (56.25%). Strengthening exercises are always preferred by 71.43%. Physiotherapists gave written (77.68%) and verbal (62.5%) information to the patients and declared that they made all these choices mostly in the light of their experience-based skills (54.46%); Conclusion: The results of our study identify the evidence-to-practice gap amongst of physiotherapists in Turkey that can lead to non-evidence-based or non-guided practice behaviors for the treatment of patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Keywords

• knee pain
• osteoarthritis
• physiotherapists
• physical therapy agents