Osteoarthritis
Course #94954 -
- Participation Instructions
- Review the course material online or in print.
- Complete the course evaluation.
- Review your Transcript to view and print your Certificate of Completion. Your date of completion will be the date (Pacific Time) the course was electronically submitted for credit, with no exceptions. Partial credit is not available.
The burden of musculoskeletal diseases in the United States is substantial. The complexity of osteoarthritis creates a challenge for diagnosis and management. Inadequate education and training in musculoskeletal diseases has left many primary care providers—often the first ones to evaluate individuals with signs and symptoms of osteoarthritis—feeling ill-equipped to manage the disease. Continuing education can help fill this substantial educational gap. This course will provide an overview of the prevalence of osteoarthritis in various demographic groups in the United States. What is known regarding the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease will be explored, including known risk factors. The diagnostic criteria for osteoarthritis at various anatomic sites will be provided, including the role of the functional assessment. Finally, evidence-based guidelines for the management of osteoarthritis will be discussed, and treatments for which evidence is lacking will be identified.
This course is designed for physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals involved in the care of patients with osteoarthritis.
The high prevalence of osteoarthritis and its substantial burden at both the individual and healthcare system levels demands sound knowledge and clinical skills in diagnosing and managing the disease. The purpose of this course is to provide healthcare professionals with the information necessary to adequately assess osteoarthritis symptoms, treat osteoarthritis patients based on evidence-based guidelines, and appropriately refer to specialists.
Upon completion of this course, you should be able to:
- Discuss the prevalence of osteoarthritis in the context of demographic variables.
- Describe what is known about the etiology and pathogenesis of osteoarthritis.
- List the risk factors for the development of osteoarthritis.
- Identify the diagnostic criteria for osteoarthritis at various anatomic sites.
- Describe the roles of radiography and patient-related factors in the diagnosis of osteoarthritis.
- Recommend lifestyle changes and education strategies that should be incorporated into the osteoarthritis treatment plan.
- Apply evidence-based guidelines for the appropriate use of oral and topical analgesics to manage osteoarthritis symptoms.
- Analyze the appropriateness of intra-articular medications for the treatment of osteoarthritis.
- Discuss alternative therapies that lack evidence to support their routine use in the management of osteoarthritis.
- Identify operative procedures used to manage osteoarthritis.
Lori L. Alexander, MTPW, ELS, MWC, is President of Editorial Rx, Inc., which provides medical writing and editing services on a wide variety of clinical topics and in a range of media. A medical writer and editor for more than 30 years, Ms. Alexander has written for both professional and lay audiences, with a focus on continuing education materials, medical meeting coverage, and educational resources for patients. She is the Editor Emeritus of the American Medical Writers Association (AMWA) Journal, the peer-review journal representing the largest association of medical communicators in the United States. Ms. Alexander earned a Master’s degree in technical and professional writing, with a concentration in medical writing, at Northeastern University, Boston. She has also earned certification as a life sciences editor and as a medical writer.
Contributing faculty, Lori L. Alexander, MTPW, ELS, MWC, has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
John M. Leonard, MD
Jane C. Norman, RN, MSN, CNE, PhD
The division planners have disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
Sarah Campbell
The Director of Development and Academic Affairs has disclosed no relevant financial relationship with any product manufacturer or service provider mentioned.
The purpose of NetCE is to provide challenging curricula to assist healthcare professionals to raise their levels of expertise while fulfilling their continuing education requirements, thereby improving the quality of healthcare.
Our contributing faculty members have taken care to ensure that the information and recommendations are accurate and compatible with the standards generally accepted at the time of publication. The publisher disclaims any liability, loss or damage incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents. Participants are cautioned about the potential risk of using limited knowledge when integrating new techniques into practice.
It is the policy of NetCE not to accept commercial support. Furthermore, commercial interests are prohibited from distributing or providing access to this activity to learners.
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The role of implicit biases on healthcare outcomes has become a concern, as there is some evidence that implicit biases contribute to health disparities, professionals' attitudes toward and interactions with patients, quality of care, diagnoses, and treatment decisions. This may produce differences in help-seeking, diagnoses, and ultimately treatments and interventions. Implicit biases may also unwittingly produce professional behaviors, attitudes, and interactions that reduce patients' trust and comfort with their provider, leading to earlier termination of visits and/or reduced adherence and follow-up. Disadvantaged groups are marginalized in the healthcare system and vulnerable on multiple levels; health professionals' implicit biases can further exacerbate these existing disadvantages.
Interventions or strategies designed to reduce implicit bias may be categorized as change-based or control-based. Change-based interventions focus on reducing or changing cognitive associations underlying implicit biases. These interventions might include challenging stereotypes. Conversely, control-based interventions involve reducing the effects of the implicit bias on the individual's behaviors. These strategies include increasing awareness of biased thoughts and responses. The two types of interventions are not mutually exclusive and may be used synergistically.