A study of disease management activities of hip osteoarthritis patients under conservative treatment.

Summary: The study aimed to determine the status of disease management activities that patients under conservative treatment actually performed and to examine the relevant factors in performing or not performing the activities. A survey was conducted with hip OA patients of the orthopaedic outpatient service of one university hospital in Japan. Results indicated that it is necessary to advise patients at an earlier stage of the disease to perform the management activities and to develop a program to link the advice to actual performance of the activities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]