Implementation of a ‘Joint Clinic’ to resolve unmet need for orthopaedic services in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis: a program evaluation

Table 1 Description of the patients and patient pathways of the first 2 years of Joint Clinic operation

	Total
Patients referred to Joint clinic	376
Declined	9	2.4%
Did not attend	9	2.4%
Patients attending Joint Clinic	358
Patient characteristics		(of 358)
Age (SD)	76	9.8
Female	200	55.9%
Hip OA^a	155	43.3%
Knee OA^a	199	55.6%
Not OA^a	19	5.3%
Met inclusion criteria^b	339	94.7%
Joint Clinic management
Initial consultation	358	95.2% (of 376)
1 follow-up	252	74.3% (of 339)
2 follow-ups	114	36.6% (of 339)
3 follow-ups	28	8.3% (of 339)
mean (SD) visits	2.1	0.91
Referred for FSA:
Initial visit	59	16.5% (of 358)
Subsequent visit	74
By another service	15
Total	148	41.3%

GP General medical practitioner (family practice physician). ^aOA as the primary cause of hip or knee symptoms was the inclusion criterion for Joint Clinic management; sums to > 100 due to multisite OA. ^bOA of the hip or knee

ISSN: 1471-2474