Sally A. Jessep, Nicola E. Walsh, Julie Ratcliffe and Michael V. Hurley
The objective of this study was to establish the feasibility of ESCAPE-knee pain [Enabling Self-management and Coping with Arthritic knee Pain through Exercise] and compare its clinical effectiveness and costs with outpatient physiotherapy. Sixty-four people with chronic knee pain underwent either outpatient physiotherapy or ESCAPE-knee pain. Both groups demonstrated similar improvements in clinical outcomes. Outpatient physiotherapy cost £130 per person and the healthcare utilisation costs of participants over 1 year were £583. The ESCAPE-knee pain programme cost £64 per person and the healthcare utilisation costs of participants over 1 year were £320.
ESCAPE-knee pain can be delivered as a community-based integrated rehabilitation programme for people with chronic knee pain. Both ESCAPE-knee pain and outpatient physiotherapy produced sustained physical and psychosocial benefits, but ESCAPE-knee pain cost less and was more cost-effective.
Physiotherapy, 21 March 2009, online article