Table 2.

Surgeon interview script.

Topic	Questions/prompts
What do orthopaedic surgeons know about osteoarthritis?	How would you describe osteoarthritis? What causes osteoarthritis? Is it an inevitable part of aging?
	What is the prognosis of the disease once patients have it?
Disease management	How do you decide whether a patient needs surgery? What is the role of clinical examination?
	How do you decide whether a patient has failed conservative management?
	What roles do other health professional share in managing OA? (e.g., GPs, physiotherapists, podiatrists, exercise physiologists etc.)
	When one of your patients is considering having surgery, what do you tell them about the procedures?
	What are the pros and cons of having joint replacement surgery for OA?
Conservative management	What are your thoughts about conservative management as a treatment for osteoarthritis (exercise, weight loss, education/self-management)?
	Where do you think conservative management fits in the overall management of OA?
Barriers/challenges	What do you find challenging about treating a patient with knee OA?
Patient understanding	What do patients know about OA?
	What do patients think osteoarthritis is?
	What do your patients think caused their knee OA?
	What do you think patients want with regards to their treatment?

OA, Osteoarthritis; GP, General Practitioner.