Op0236-Hpr health Services Usage in the Austrian Osteoarthritis Registry Show a High Level of Non-Evidence-Based Therapies

Abstract Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of chronic pain, often resulting in significant impairments in physical function, daily activities, and quality of life (QoL). The European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) and other scientific societies developed recommendations and clinical practice guidelines for the management of hand, hip, and knee OA. In addition, patients with OA are treated by different specialists and professional groups in different settings over the course of their illness, and there is little knowledge about which specialists see patients in which phase of the disease and whether the guidelines are implemented in real-world settings. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the usage of health service in the management of OA in a real-world registry in Austria. Methods: Data from the Austrian Better Life in Osteoarthritis Registry (BLOAR), comprising 1,716 OA patients, were analysed. This registry collects comprehensive clinical, demographic, and patient-reported outcomes, including pain levels (rest and activity), QoL, physical activity, and disease severity. Patients were included if they were aged ≥18 years, had a confirmed OA diagnosis, and could complete patient-reported outcome measures in German. Descriptive statistical analyses were performed to examine the frequencies of different therapeutic interventions within the cohort. Results: Of the 1,716 OA patients, 1,227 (71.5%) were female, with a mean age of 66.8 years (±10.8). Most patients were treated for knee OA (n=895, 52.2%), followed by hand (n=403, 23.5%), hip (n=303, 17.7%), and OA in other joints (n=115, 6.7%). 255 patients (16%) reported having reduced their workhours or lost their job. Over 80% were moderately (n=862, 52.2%) or severely (n=460, 27.9%) affected. Mean BMI was 29.64 (±6.17). At baseline, pain scores on a visual analogue scale (0 = no pain, 100=worst pain) were on average 24.7 (±24.7) at rest and 42.8 (±27.2) during activity. QoL, measured on a scale where 0 indicates the worst possible state and 100 an excellent state, had a mean score of 51.1 (±25.8). 1,148 patients (67.0%) reported receiving consultations and visits to doctors, 1,053 (61.4%) had physiotherapy and 1,035 (60.4%) physical therapy. However, surprisingly, only 202 patients (11.8%) reported having received dietary interventions and weight management programs, while the use of vitamins ranked fourth overall with 691 patients (40.3%) reporting their use. In addition, plant-based products were used by 216 patients (12.6%). Medications, including pain relief drugs, were reported by 643 patients (37.5%) (Figure 1). Figure 1 Conclusion: The results show a significant gap between real-world practice and the existing EULAR recommendations. Interventions such as weight management, which are strongly emphasized in the guidelines, are underused, with only about 10% of patients receiving such support. Furthermore, while close to 70% of patients receive consultations and physiotherapy or physical therapy, the high prevalence of non-evidence-based treatments, such as taking vitamins and plant-based products – neither of which are recommended by EULAR – is surprising. This underscores the need to raise awareness of evidence-based interventions in clinical practice and to implement them more effectively. Healthcare providers should prioritize aligning treatment approaches with established guidelines to optimize outcomes. Furthermore, the popularity of non-standardized treatments suggests the importance of understanding patient preferences and addressing misconceptions through targeted education and communication strategies. REFERENCES: NIL. Acknowledgements: NIL. Disclosure of Interests: Valentina Schmolik: None declared, Lisa Dorfer: None declared, Erika Mosor: None declared, Gerhard Hobusch: None declared, Daniel Aletaha: None declared, Roland Axmann: None declared, Bibiane Steinecker-Frohnwieser: None declared, Tanja Stamm AbbVie, Novartis, Roche, Sanofi, and Takeda, AbbVie and Sanofi Genzyme, AbbVie and Roche, Valentin Ritschl: None declared. © The Authors 2025. This abstract is an open access article published in Annals of Rheumatic Diseases under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Neither EULAR nor the publisher make any representation as to the accuracy of the content. The authors are solely responsible for the content in their abstract including accuracy of the facts, statements, results, conclusion, citing resources etc.