Our Research
Osteoarthritis is a major cause of disability in Ireland and worldwide and will become more common in coming decades as people live longer. International guidelines recommend best management for osteoarthritis should include self-management, education, exercise and weight management. This research aims to improve the care for people attending their general practitioner (GP) with osteoarthritis in line with international guidelines.
Phases of ENACt
The project will involve a multidisciplinary team of researchers and will take place in phases.
Stage 1
This phase will involve finding out what types of models of care are being used around the world and how effective they are both for the patient and for the health service.
Stage 2
In the second phase, we will get the perspectives of people with osteoarthritis, GPs and other primary care team members on how osteoarthritis is currently managed in Ireland and how it could be improved.
Stage 3
In the next we will use all of the information from phases 1 and 2 to develop a model of care for osteoarthritis management in primary care in Ireland.
Stage 4
The fourth phase will involve testing the model of care in three GP practices with patients who attend with osteoarthritis. Afterwards, we will get the perspectives of the GPs and patients involved in using the new model and fine-tune it accordingly.