Weight- and Nutrition-Related Changes of Patients With Osteoarthritis Attending the Dietetic Orthopaedic Physiotherapy Screening Clinic: Findings From a Clinical Audit

The aim of this study is to describe patient experiences with the dietetic service in a multidisciplinary orthopaedic physiotherapy screening clinic for the management of osteoarthritis, specifically nutrition-related indicators of success, such as changes to weight and diet. A retrospective observational medical chart audit was conducted of patients with osteoarthritis within the dietetic clinic over a 12-month period in a large, urban setting in Australia. In total, 38 patients met the inclusion criteria; 68% were female. Patients spent an average of 182 days in dietetics care, with an average of 5 appointments per patient. Approximately one-third (32%) of patients achieved a clinically significant weight loss (> 5% of body weight), 58% had no change in weight, and 11% of patients gained weight (> 5% of body weight). Of patients in the successful weight loss group, 50% had been advised to follow a very low energy diet, compared to 19% in the no weight loss group (p = 0.05). Patients appeared to be increasing their consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreasing their discretionary foods, but changes did not reach statistical significance. We found that the current clinic was resource-intensive, provided varied nutritional treatments, and resulted in some, but limited, success. Findings from this study suggest areas for improvement in clinics that primarily serve patients with osteoarthritis.