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This study examined the psychometric properties of the Korean version of the Patient Knowledge Questionnaire-Osteoarthritis (PKQ-OA-K). A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 157 adults with osteoarthritis from the outpatient clinic at a university hospital in Korea. The overall correct answer rate for the PKQ-OA-K was 60.4%; notably, the drug therapy subscale had the lowest median score percentage (42.9%). For structural validity, exploratory factor analysis identified the PKQ-OA-K as two-dimensional, explaining 52.4% of the total variance. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the two-factor model adequately fit the data. The PKQ-OA-K was positively correlated with education level (r = 0.24) and osteoarthritis outcomes (r = 0.17), thus verifying the hypotheses of construct validity. The intraclass correlation coefficient for test-retest reliability was 0.52; alpha was 0.44. The PKQ-OA-K has excellent validity but imperfect reliability for adults with osteoarthritis. This study recommends cautious use of the PKQ-OA-K to assess Korean patients' knowledge of osteoarthritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ophthalmic examinations are a frequent source of pain and stress in premature infants. There is evidence for the use of supportive interventions during infant ophthalmic examinations to reduce pain and stress, but there are no standard recommendations for their implementation.Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement project was to implement evidence-based, supportive interventions during ophthalmic examinations in premature infants and evaluate the impact on pain, oxygen saturation, heart rate, bradycardic events, and neonatal stress cues.Methods: A preintervention and intervention group design was used. Primary outcomes were pain and oxygen saturation. Secondary outcomes were heart rate, number of bradycardic events, and number of neonatal stress cues. Independent-sample t tests were used to compare means of the measures in the preintervention and intervention groups.Results: Supportive interventions during ophthalmic examinations significantly reduced infant pain (during and after the examination), number of bradycardic events (during and after the examination), and number of neonatal stress cues (before, during, and after the examination). There was also a trend for supportive interventions to decrease pain before the examination.Implications For Practice: Supportive interventions during ophthalmic examinations are effective in reducing pain, bradycardic events, and neonatal stress cues in premature infants and can be successfully implemented as part of a unit-based protocol.Implications For Research: Future research is needed to determine the long-term outcomes associated with supportive interventions during ophthalmic examinations in premature infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This single-group repeated-measures pilot study evaluated the effects of a 10-wk, multicomponent, best-practice exercise program on physical activity, performance of activities of daily living (ADLs), physical performance, and depression in community-dwelling older adults from low-income households (N = 15). Comparison of pretest and posttest scores using a one-tailed paired-samples t test showed improvement (p < .05) for 2 of 3 ADL domains on the Activity Measure-Post Acute Care and for 6 physical-performance measures of the Senior Fitness Test. Repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant main effects for 3 of 8 physical activity measures using the Yale Physical Activity Scale. Retention rate was 78.9%, and the adherence rate for group sessions was 89.7%. Results suggest that participation in a multicomponent, best-practice physical activity program may positively affect sedentary, community-dwelling older adults' physical activity, ADL performance, and physical performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A challenge with the aggressive new care model for patients with rheumatoid arthritis has been determining which measures to use to assess disease activity and response to therapy. With an observed functional assessment based on the Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire domains, both the physician and the patient can gain important insights into function during a standard office visit. The presence of impairments in strength, joint range of motion, pain, and coordination--including balance and dexterity--can affect patients' ability to perform functional activities. This assessment allows a physician to observe the impact of these impairments on function. It may help identify patients with significant changes in function who can benefit from effective intervention. (J Musculoskel Med. 2012;29:102-105), Treatment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has undergone tremendous advances related to greater understanding of its pathophysiology and the introduction of effective disease-modifying medications. New management strategies for RA [...]

Knowing how rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms are affecting patients' everyday activities enhances your ability to provide best 'treat to target' practice interventions. Impairments can result in activity limitations and participation restrictions. An important impairment in RA is structural joint deformities; others are pain, fatigue, and adverse emotional reactions. Persons with RA often make some type of adaptation to their activities. Activity performance may be assessed by patient self-report with directed questions and by direct observation. Knowledge about RA and perspectives on what constitutes a particular activity differ greatly among patients. A challenge during an office visit is to make an accurate assessment of patients' functional activities. Identifying problems is easier if attention is focused on specific body areas that are likely to be problematic. (J Musculoskel Med. 2012;29:78-81), Assessing function in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a challenging but important part of the rheumatology office visit. Knowing how the symptoms of RA are affecting patients' everyday activities [...]

The reasons why patients go to physicians to seek help for musculoskeletal problems, such as pain, difficulty in climbing stairs, and reduced work time, all are aspects of human function but refer to different aspects of function. In 2001, the World Health Organization published a classification to describe the health components of functioning and disability. Included is the entirety of a person's health rather than just the consequences of his or her disease. Patient self-report measures, used in conjunction with routine office visits, provide a practical and feasible way of obtaining information about functional health. The Health Assessment Questionnaire, a frequently used tool, has played a major role in broadening the perspective of chronic disease management from biomedical measurements to include measurement of functional health. (J Musculoskel Med. 2012;29:41-43), Musculoskeletal problems are some of the main reasons why patients go to physicians or other health care professionals. The reasons for seeking help are quite variable. For example, a person [...]

Joint pain and joint damage resulting from rheumatoid arthritis (RA) lead to functional limitations that reduce patients' quality of life and make activities of daily living difficult. Recent guidelines have emphasized treat to target strategies for minimizing joint destruction in patients with RA and maximizing their functional well-being, but these strategies have not been tested in usual-care settings and have not focused on the functional improvements that occur when disease activity is reduced by medication. The Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data 3, a composite of patient self-reported measures, includes a multidimensional HAQ (MDHAQ). The MDHAQ provides questions to determine patients' ability to perform activities related to function. Additional treatment strategies that focus on directly addressing functional disabilities may be needed. (J Musculoskel Med. 2012;29:10-12), Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), which affects an estimated 1.3 million Americans, is a complex inflammatory disorder associated with synovitis and joint destruction. (1-3) Both joint pain and joint damage resulting from [...]