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Osteoarthritis patient-voice layer

Last updated: 2026-08-30

Purpose

This layer records recurring patient-experience themes that affect research questions, outcome choice and service design. It is not a collection of testimonials and does not substitute for prevalence research.

Method

  1. PubMed E-utilities searches covered OA qualitative experience, beliefs about exercise, work, treatment preferences, arthroplasty waiting/cancellation, stigma, decision aids and acceptable symptom states.
  2. Eligible sources were public peer-reviewed qualitative studies, mixed-methods reviews, preference studies, decision-aid trials and public patient-organization resources.
  3. Themes required at least two independent sources; a single vivid account never defined a theme.
  4. Organization pages were fetched live and recorded with access date in organizations.md.
  5. Findings were paraphrased and organized in aggregate; no private individual's name, handle, location or identifying detail was recorded.

Ethics and interpretation

  • Public sources only.
  • No private groups, closed forums or direct messages.
  • Paraphrase by default; quotations, if ever used, must be ≤15 words and attributed. This build uses no individual quotation.
  • Organization pages are services and advocacy material, not representative samples.
  • Qualitative saturation within one study does not establish population prevalence.
  • The literature is weighted toward knee OA, English-language high-income settings, physiotherapy and arthroplasty pathways.
  • Absence of a theme means “not established in the searched sources,” not “patients do not experience it.”

Files

  • organizations.md — verified public support and advocacy organizations.
  • themes.md — cross-source thematic synthesis.
  • sources.md — annotated source catalog and coverage limitations.