Recommendations for research

Guidance

Key recommendations for research
Other recommendations for research

Recommendations for research

The guideline committee has made the following recommendations for research.

Key recommendations for research

1 Exercise

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of supervised group and individual exercise compared with unsupervised exercise for people with osteoarthritis?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendation for research see the rationale section on therapeutic exercise.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review C: clinical and cost effectiveness of exercise for the management of osteoarthritis.

2 Devices

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of devices compared with usual care for the management of painful foot and or ankle osteoarthritis?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendation for research see the rationale section on devices.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review H: clinical and cost effectiveness of devices for the management of osteoarthritis.

3 Topical medicines

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and topical capsaicin for osteoarthritis-affected joints other than the knee?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendation for research see the rationale section on topical, oral and transdermal medicines.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review I, evidence review I: appendices A to D, evidence review I: appendices E to J: clinical and cost effectiveness of oral, topical and transdermal medicines for the management of osteoarthritis.

4 Follow-up strategies

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of patient-initiated follow-up compared with routine follow-up for people with osteoarthritis?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendation for research see the rationale section on follow-up and review.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review L: regular follow-up and review.

Other recommendations for research

5 Patient information

What information on the management of flares do people with osteoarthritis, their family and carers need after diagnosis?

What information do people with osteoarthritis from different ethnic and socioeconomic groups, and those with learning disabilities, issues with health literacy and severe mental illness (and their family and carers), need?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendations for research see the rationale section on information and support.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review B: post-diagnostic information on osteoarthritis for people with osteoarthritis, their family and carers.

6 Manual therapy

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of manual therapy for people with osteoarthritis, when used alone and when in combination with therapeutic exercise?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendation for research see the rationale section on manual therapy.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review E: clinical and cost effectiveness of manual therapy for the management of osteoarthritis.

7 Electroacupuncture

Is electroacupuncture a clinically and cost-effective treatment for any subgroup of people with osteoarthritis?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendation for research see the rationale section on acupuncture.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review F: clinical and cost effectiveness of acupuncture for people with osteoarthritis.

8 Extracorporeal shockwave therapy

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of extracorporeal shockwave therapy for managing osteoarthritis?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendation for research see the rationale section on electrotherapy.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review G: clinical and cost effectiveness of electrotherapy for the management of osteoarthritis.

9 Footwear

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of footwear for managing lower limb osteoarthritis?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendation for research see the rationale section on devices.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review H: clinical and cost effectiveness of devices for the management of osteoarthritis.

10 Topical and oral medicines

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of topical local anaesthetics for people with osteoarthritis?

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of antiepileptics and antidepressants (other than duloxetine) for people with osteoarthritis?

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of weak oral opioids for people with osteoarthritis?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendations for research see the rationale section on topical, oral and transdermal medicines.

11 Intra-articular injections

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of intra-articular corticosteroids for managing osteoarthritis-affected joints other than the knee?

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of intra-articular stem cells for managing osteoarthritis?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendations for research see the rationale section on intra-articular injections.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review J: clinical and cost effectiveness of intra-articular injections for the management of osteoarthritis.

12 Referral criteria for joint replacement

What are the most important indicators that someone with osteoarthritis (including shoulder osteoarthritis) would benefit from joint replacement? For example:

presence of night pain
non-response to non-pharmacological interventions
joint instability symptoms
presence of flares
numerical summary scores.

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendation for research see the rationale section on referral for joint replacement.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review O: indicators for referral for possible joint replacement surgery.

13 Imaging for management of osteoarthritis

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of imaging for informing non-surgical management (for example, exercise or weight loss) in primary care for people with osteoarthritis?

What is the clinical and cost effectiveness of imaging for use at different parts of the care pathway (for example, primary care, intermediate care or secondary care) before surgery for people with osteoarthritis?

For a short explanation of why the committee made the recommendations for research see the rationale section on imaging for management of osteoarthritis.

Full details of the evidence and the committee's discussion are in evidence review M: clinical and cost effectiveness of imaging during the management of osteoarthritis.