1/2021 - 3/2026

Osteoarthritis of the hip and knee joints is a widespread condition associated with pain, restricted movement and a reduced quality of life. Guidelines summarise the current state of research in recommendations to support healthcare professionals and patients in making treatment decisions. Although the benefits of guideline-compliant care have been proven, these recommendations are not being adequately implemented in physiotherapy practice.

The EILVerA project is investigating how guideline recommendations can be permanently integrated into everyday practice in order to improve physiotherapy care for people with hip and knee osteoarthritis.

EILVerA provides insights into the current care situation, identifies barriers to guideline-compliant treatment and develops approaches to overcome these barriers. A measure developed as part of the project is being tested for feasibility and effectiveness in a randomised controlled pilot study with the aim of transferring it to other settings and diseases.

Various methodological approaches are used, including surveys, qualitative interviews and theory-driven intervention development followed by a pilot study.

The analysis of the current care situation is carried out nationwide. The development and testing of the intervention focuses on outpatient physiotherapy facilities in southern Brandenburg.

Bahns, C., Scheffler, B., & Kopkow, C. (2023). Guideline-Adherent Physiotherapy for Patients With Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis in Germany: Protocol for an Implementation Research Project Using the Theoretical Domains Framework and the Behavior Change Wheel. JMIR research protocols, 12, e47834. https://doi.org/10.2196/47834

Bahns, C., & Kopkow, C. (2023). Physiotherapy for patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis in Germany: a survey of current practice. BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 24(1), 424. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-023-06464-0

Bahns, C., Happe, L., & Kopkow, C. (2024). Barriers and facilitators to the use of clinical practice guidelines in osteoarthritis care: a qualitative study among German physiotherapists. BMJ open, 14(10), e085349. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-085349