Development of quality indicators for hand osteoarthritis care - Results from an European consensus study

Bordvik, Daniel H.; Prior, Yeliz; Bamford, Rachael; Berenbaum, Francis; Björk, Mathilda; Blanck, Thalita; Christensen, Barbara Slatkowsky; Dziedzic, Krysia; Edwards, John; Gilanliogullari, Nazemin; Graham, Carol; Haugen, Ida K.; Kloppenburg, Margreet; Laheij, Hellen; Ritt, Marco J.P. F.; Stamm, Tanja; Tveter, Anne Therese; Østerås, Nina; Kjeken, Ingvild

Abstract

Background
People with hand osteoarthritis (OA) often have poor access to recommended treatments. To enhance care quality, quality indicators (QIs) based on clinical recommendations are essential. Current QI sets, like the Osteoarthritis Quality Indicator Questionnaire (OA-QI v.2), primarily address hip- and knee OA, and not hand OA.

Objectives
To adapt the OA-QI v.2 for assessing patient-reported quality of hand OA care.

Design
We used the OA-QI v.2. set as a starting point and adapted it to reflect hand OA care. A literature search was performed to identify potential QIs for hand OA following the Rand/UCLA Appropriateness method. A European expert panel, comprising researchers, clinicians, and patient research partners, participated in online meetings to discuss adaptation and suggest new QIs based on treatment recommendations for hand OA, and anonymously rated each suggested QI regarding its importance, validity, usefulness, and feasibility. Consensus was defined by predefined rating cut-off scores. The adapted questionnaire was translated from English into Norwegian. Cognitive debriefing interviews with Norwegian and UK hand OA patients were conducted to ensure clarity.

Results
Our initial literature search provided 1670 articles, with none describing relevant QIs. After three voting rounds, sixteen QI items reached consensus, reflecting current hand OA care standards. Items were generally well understood, requiring only minor clarity amendments after patient interviews (N=28).

Conclusion
The OA-QI v.2 was successfully adapted into a 16-item Hand OA-QI set ensuring alignment with international care standards for hand OA through literature review, international expert panels and patient feedback on language and layout.

Citation

Bordvik, D. H., Prior, Y., Bamford, R., Berenbaum, F., Björk, M., Blanck, T., Christensen, B. S., Dziedzic, K., Edwards, J., Gilanliogullari, N., Graham, C., Haugen, I. K., Kloppenburg, M., Laheij, H., Ritt, M. J. F., Stamm, T., Tveter, A. T., Østerås, N., & Kjeken, I. (2025). Development of quality indicators for hand osteoarthritis care - Results from an European consensus study. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open, 7(1), Article 100578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocarto.2025.100578

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 31, 2025
• Online Publication Date: Feb 5, 2025
• Publication Date: Feb 5, 2025
• Deposit Date: Apr 22, 2025
• Journal: Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open
• Print ISSN: 2665-9131
• Electronic ISSN: 2665-9131
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 7
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 100578
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocarto.2025.100578
• Public URL: https://keele-repository.worktribe.com/output/1076345
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2665913125000147?via%3Dihub
• PMID: 39995586