Implementation of a workplace intervention using financial rewards to promote adherence to physical activity guidelines: a feasibility study.

Background: We designed and implemented the Brigham and Women's Wellness Initiative (B-Well), a single-arm study to examine the feasibility of a workplace program that used individual and team-based financial incentives to increase physical activity among sedentary hospital employees.

Methods: We enrolled sedentary, non-clinician employees of a tertiary medical center who self-reported low physical activity. Eligible participants formed or joined teams of three members and wore Fitbit Flex activity monitors for two pre-intervention weeks followed by 24 weeks during which they could earn monetary rewards.

Financial Incentives and Health Coaching to Improve Physical Activity Following Total Knee Replacement: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Most persons who undergo total knee replacement (TKR) do not increase their physical activity following surgery. We assessed whether financial incentives and health coaching would improve physical activity in persons undergoing TKR.

Methods: We designed a factorial randomized controlled trial among persons undergoing TKR for osteoarthritis.

Association between activity limitations and pain in patients scheduled for total knee arthroplasty.

Background: Historically, persons scheduled for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have reported severe pain with low demand activities such as walking, but recent data suggests that TKA recipients may have less preoperative pain. Little is known about people who elect TKA with low levels of preoperative pain. To better understand current TKA utilization, we evaluated the association between preoperative pain and difficulty performing high demand activities, such as kneeling and squatting, among TKA recipients.

Is there an association between whole-body pain with osteoarthritis-related knee pain, pain catastrophizing, and mental health?

Background: Greater levels of self-reported pain, pain catastrophizing, and depression have been shown to be associated with persistent pain and functional limitation after surgeries such as TKA. It would be useful for clinicians to be able to measure these factors efficiently.

Questions/purposes: We asked: (1) What is the association of whole-body pain with osteoarthritis (OA)-related knee pain, function, pain catastrophizing, and mental health? (2) What is the sensitivity and specificity for different cutoffs for body pain diagram region categories in relation to pain catastrophizing?

Methods: Patients (n = 267) with knee OA undergoing elective TKA at one academic center and two community orthopaedic centers were enrolled before surgery in a prospective cohort study.