Optimized Referral of Knee Patients at the Clinic of Sports Injuries

Completed

• Conditions: Knee Injuries; Knee; Injury, Meniscus (Lateral) (Medial)
• Interventions: Other: Assessment at the Clinic of Sports Injuries

• Registration Number: NCT02672046
• Lead Sponsor: Central Jutland Regional Hospital

Brief Summary

The aim of the study is to evaluate an algorithm to screen patients with a possibility of meniscal injury referred to a sports injury outpatient clinic by using patient-reported symptoms. It will be investigated whether the algorithm is able to identify which patients are deemed relevant to undergo assessment by a physician (i.e. in case the patient need to undergo surgery) and which patients are relevant to undergo assessment by a physiotherapist. This will be evaluated by estimating the sensitivity of the new algorithm compared to actual relevancy based on the traditional clinical assessment of the patients.

Detailed Description

According to current practice, patients referred to the Clinic of Sports Injuries will be assessed by either a physician or a physiotherapist. Current practice will continue unchanged during this study.

Before the scheduled assessment, patients will be asked to fulfill a questionnaire including KOOS, a further description of symptoms, previous treatment by physiotherapist and expected upcoming treatment (i.e. surgery or referral to physiotherapist).

An algorithm based on the self-reported information will be used to categorize whether the patient are considered relevant to be referred to assessment by a physician or to assessment by a physiotherapist.

After clinical assessment of the patient, the physician or physiotherapist does a registration of diagnosis, choice of treatment and complexity. Based on choice of treatment and complexity, the patient will be categorized as either relevant to be referred to assessment by a physician or to assessment by a physiotherapist. This categorization is by definition considered correct.

The ability of the algorithm will be evaluated by comparing it's categorization to the correct result. Sensitivity will be estimated.

Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2016-01
• Study Start: 2016-01
• Study First Submitted: 2016-01-20
• Study First Submitted QC: 2016-01-29
• Study First Posted: 2016-02-03
• Primary Completion: 2016-06
• Study Completion: 2016-06
• Last Update Submitted: 2017-05-11
• Last Update Posted: 2017-05-12

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 182

Inclusion Criteria

• Patients above the age of 35 referred to the Clinic of Sports Injuries with knee symptoms

Exclusion Criteria

• Cognitive or language problems that precludes the filling of the questionnaires
• Previous surgery in the knee
• Symptoms only located in the anterior part of the knee

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Patients with knee injuries	Assessment at the Clinic of Sports Injuries	Patients referred to assessment at the Clinic of Sports Injuries

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
"Relevant referral to assessment by physician" or "Relevant referral to assessment by physiotherapist"	Up to 4 weeks (at the initial visit at the Clinic of Sports Injuries)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)	At baseline

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Silkeborg Regional Hospital; 🇩🇰 Silkeborg, Denmark