‘Managing My Patellofemoral Pain’: the creation of an education leaflet for patients

STUDY DESIGN: Qualitative, including consultation with international experts and patients. PURPOSE: Develop a brief yet comprehensive evidence-based education leaflet to be used as an adjunct in the management of patellofemoral pain (PFP) through consultation with both experts (clinical academics) and individuals with PFP. BACKGROUND: Appropriate patient education is an essential component of effective PFP management. However, there are currently no published educational resources for clinicians and researchers treating individuals with PFP to help translate current evidence into clinical practice. METHODS: A preliminary education leaflet titled ‘Managing My Patellofemoral Pain’ was created using information from the ‘Best Practice Guide to Conservative Management of Patellofemoral Pain’ and educational content used in published research. Feedback was sought from 21 experts (clinical academics) for accuracy, adequacy and clarity of the information in the leaflet using a semistructured questionnaire, and a number of suggested modifications were made as a result. Further feedback was sought from 20 patients diagnosed with PFP regarding the clarity and adequacy of information contained in the leaflet, and to determine additional educational resource needs. RESULTS: The leaflet created is titled ‘Managing My Patellofemoral Pain’ and the main topics of the leaflet are ‘What might cause my knee pain?’ and ‘Treatment options’, which are divided into exercise and additional treatments. Patient feedback was positive, and included a number of considerations for further education resource development. CONCLUSIONS: The ‘Managing My Patellofemoral Pain’ education leaflet may provide a valuable resource for patients, clinicians and researchers to assist the provision of education and translation of the current evidence.