Factors Associated With Referral to Secondary Care in Patients With Osteoarthritis of the Hip or Knee After Implementation of a Stepped‐Care Strategy

Abstract

After implementation of the SCS in primary care, the performance of exercise therapy, rather than disease severity or psychologic factors, seems to play a key role in the decision whether or not to refer for surgical or nonsurgical treatment in secondary care. To optimize patient-tailored treatment, future research should be adressed to determine the optimal moment of switching from primary to secondary care in patients with hip/knee osteoarthritis.