Patients' perceptions of navigating "the system" for arthritis management: are they able to follow our recommendations?

Purpose: To understand whether a visit to a Hip/Knee Arthritis Assessment Centre (AC), where non-surgical candidates with arthritis are directed toward community resources and provided with a conservative treatment "prescription," contributes to patients' self-management and ability to access community resources.

Methods: A purposive sample of non-surgical patients was contacted 3-10 months after their AC visit. Three focus groups (n=20) and 20 semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted.