Table 1.
GCP statements and level of agreement.
| GCP statements | Level of consensus | Distribution of ratings |
Average ± SD | Median | Range | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ⩽3 | 4–6 | ⩾7 | |||||
| (1) The primary target for treatment of knee OA should be a clinical improvement, bringing the patient to the PASS | Strongly in favour | 0 | 1 | 24 | 8.7 ± 1.3 | 9 | 6–10 |
| (2) Treatment should begin as early as possible with the diagnosis of symptomatic OA, and include pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatment | Unanimously in favour | 0 | 0 | 25 | 9.3 ± 1 | 10 | 7–10 |
| (3) All patients should be encouraged to maintain a healthy weight and adopt regular and appropriate physical activity | Unanimously in favour | 0 | 0 | 25 | 9.2 ± 1 | 10 | 7–10 |
| (4) The management should be evaluated every 3–6 months (depending on the patient symptoms) until the desired target is reached and continued thereafter | Unanimously in favour | 0 | 0 | 25 | 9 ± 1.1 | 9 | 7–10 |
| (5) Documenting measures of pain, function, physical and mental state, and consumption of painkillers (analgesics, NSAIDs, etc.) regularly, to monitor clinical improvement, adherence, tolerability and safety is recommended | Strongly in favour | 1 | 0 | 24 | 8.7 ± 1.6 | 10 | 3–10 |
| (6) The patient has to be appropriately informed about the treatment options and a shared decision should be made | Unanimously in favour | 0 | 0 | 25 | 9.4 ± 1 | 10 | 7–10 |
| (7) Modifiable risk factors of OA progression should be identified and managed with patients at the beginning of the treatment and monitored regularly | Unanimously in favour | 0 | 0 | 25 | 9.4 ± 1 | 10 | 7–10 |
| (8) Comorbidities and concomitant treatments should be systematically screened and managed | Unanimously in favour | 0 | 0 | 25 | 9.3 ± 1 | 10 | 7–10 |
| (9) The treatment should be adapted according to patient phenotype and disease severity | Strongly in favour | 0 | 1 | 24 | 9.1 ± 1.3 | 10 | 5–10 |
| (10) Surgical options should be considered for the appropriate patients | Strongly in favour | 0 | 1 | 24 | 9.4 ± 1.1 | 10 | 6–10 |
Numerical details show the degree of agreement rated from 0 to 10 and level of consensus is defined as strong and unanimous for each individual point.
GCP, good clinical practice; NSAIDs, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; OA, osteoarthritis; PASS, Patient Acceptable Symptom State; SD, standard deviation.