Effects of 12-week Digital Treatment in Patients With Hand OA on Pain and Function

NCT05499559 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: HandOA2022
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 846
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a 12 week digital treatment program for patients with hand osteoarthritis. The treatment consisted of exercises and educational sessions with respect to the disease, its natural course and recommended treatment strategies. Design: An observational longitudinal cohort study. The investigators will include participants who participated in the digital treatment of Joint Academy® for 3 months. Outcomes: Investigators will analyze pain with Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) 0-10 (best to worst), function with the Functional Index for Hand OsteoArthritis (FIHOA) and health related quality of life with EuroQol-5 Dimensions-5 Levels (EQ-5D-5L) at baseline and at 3 months. Main outcome will be change in pain. The investigators will also analyze minimally clinical important changes (improved or not) and mean changes in EQ-5D-5L index score, pain and function.

Conditions

Hand Osteoarthritis; Wrist Osteoarthritis; Thumb Osteoarthritis; Finger Osteoarthritis

Keywords

Telemedicine; Telehealth; Mobile Health; eHealth; mHealth

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change in Pain Intensity (Numerical Rating Scale NRS, Discrete Boxes 0-10, Higher Score Mean Worse Pain)

  Pain intensity was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS, discrete boxes 0-10) with the instruction: "Mark on this scale how much pain you had in your hand over the past week." The NRS ranged from 0, representing no pain, to 10, representing the maximum pain imaginable. A higher score indicated greater pain intensity. Participants completed mandatory self-assessment questionnaires at baseline and again at 3 months of treatment. All responses were self-reported and entered directly via the digital program interface.

  Change in pain intensity from baseline to 3 months of treatment.

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Functional Index for Hand OsteoArthritis (FIHOA 0 - 30 Higher Score Means Worse Outcome)

  Change of Functional Index for Hand OsteoArthritis-score between baseline to 3 months of treatment

Other Outcomes (5)

• Analgesic Use

  Reduction in the number of participants using analgesics from baseline to the 3-month follow-up.

• Willingness for Surgery

  Reduction in the number of participants wanting to undergo surgery from baseline to the 3-month follow-up.

• Fear of Physical Activity

  Reduction in the number of participants responding "yes" from baseline to the 3-month follow-up.

Study Arms (1)

Joint Academy

The participants receive the digital treatment of Joint Academy.

Behavioral: Joint Academy digital treatment

Interventions

Joint Academy digital treatment BEHAVIORAL

The Joint Academy® (www.jointacademy.com) program for people with hand OA consists of video instructed and progressively adaptable daily exercises, patient education through text lessons, possibility for a social chat group with other patients and a continuous asynchronous chat function with a personal reg. physiotherapist who supervises the patient during the full participation period. The program also contains three telephone consultations with a physiotherapist that were compulsory, one at the start, one after six weeks and one after three months.

Joint Academy

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Participats joined the programme through recommendation by their local physiotherapist (PT), occupational therapist (OT) or orthopaedic surgeon, via online advertisements and campaigns placed on search engines and social networks, or through their insurance company. A majority of included participants had a clinical diagnosis of hand osteoarthritis from a PT, OT or physician, and all had a physical visit with a healthcare provider regarding their hand OA prior to joining JA. The clinical diagnosis of OA was confirmed by a PT or OT via telephone, or if deemed necessary the patient was recommended to seek face-to-face care before inclusion in the programme.

You may qualify if:

• Older than 18 years (often much older)
• Previous physical examination regarding hand symptoms
• Long-lasting hand pain where osteoarthritis is suspected l(for example joint-specific load and/or rest pain, impaired function with stiffness, decreased grip strength, clumsiness, bone roughening of joints).
• started the treatment between 2022-XX-XX to 2022-XX-XX

You may not qualify if:

• Pregnancy
• Tendon disease (trigger finger, tendinopathy)
• Nerve entrapment
• Arthritis
• Acute injuries (fracture and/or distortion)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Joint Academy: lead
• Lund University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Joint Academy

Malmo, Skåne County, Sweden

Location

Related Publications (4)

• Williamson A, Hoggart B. Pain: a review of three commonly used pain rating scales. J Clin Nurs. 2005 Aug;14(7):798-804. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2005.01121.x.

  PMID: 16000093 BACKGROUND

• Dreiser RL, Maheu E, Guillou GB. Sensitivity to change of the functional index for hand osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2000;8 Suppl A:S25-8. doi: 10.1053/joca.2000.0332.

  PMID: 11156490 BACKGROUND

• Kim SK, Jung UH, Choe JY. Functional index for hand osteoarthritis (FIHOA) is associated with pain, muscle strength, and EQ-5D in hand osteoarthritis. Adv Rheumatol. 2021 Mar 19;61(1):19. doi: 10.1186/s42358-021-00177-5.

  PMID: 33741081 BACKGROUND

• Walter MM, Sirard P, Nero H, Horder H, Dahlberg LE, Tveter AT, Kjeken I, Kiadaliri A. Digitally delivered education and exercises for patients with hand osteoarthritis-An observational study. Musculoskeletal Care. 2023 Dec;21(4):1154-1160. doi: 10.1002/msc.1796. Epub 2023 Jul 8.

  PMID: 37421256 DERIVED

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Study Director
• Organization: Arthro Therapeutics/Joint Academy

leif@jointacademy.com

+46708971677

Study Officials

• Leif Dahlberg, Professor

  Arthro Therapeutics /Joint Academy

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: PROSPECTIVE
• Target Duration: 12 Weeks
• Sponsor Type: INDUSTRY
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 2, 2022
• First Posted: August 12, 2022
• Study Start: July 7, 2021
• Primary Completion: July 31, 2022
• Study Completion: June 26, 2023
• Last Updated: August 27, 2025
• Results First Posted: August 27, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Locations

SE (1)