Journal article
'The unexpected journey': a qualitative interview study exploring patient and health professionals experiences of participating in the knee arthroplasty versus joint distraction study (KARDS)
- Abstract:
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Objective The aim of the knee arthroplasty versus joint distraction (KARDS) randomised trial was to investigate whether knee joint distraction (KJD) is non-inferior to knee arthroplasty, also known as knee replacement (KR). Here we report the findings from qualitative interviews that were part of the planned KARDS process evaluation.
Design and methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews with staff and participants in secondary care. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis.
Findings We were unable to complete the full-planned KARDS process evaluation as recruitment to the trial was closed early but key common themes emerged.
Eleven members of staff were interviewed from two KARDS sites (eight initial interviews just after site opening and three follow-up interviews at 12 months). Eleven KARDS participants (six KR and five KJD) were interviewed. One overarching theme emerged: ‘An unexpected journey’. This incorporated subthemes including ‘an important research question’, ‘a roller coaster ride’, ‘lessons learnt’, ‘managing expectations’ and ‘a slow recovery’. These encapsulate experiences of both staff and participants.
Conclusion The information that we were able to collect highlights that providing adequate and comprehensive information about all aspects of treatment including estimated timelines of recovery are essential in clinical trials of novel interventions. Incorporating a comprehensive rehabilitation package following KJD was a key learning. Process evaluations in these complex trials are essential to determine issues as early as possible so appropriate changes can be made to ensure participants have a smooth journey through the trial experience.
Trial registration number ISRCTN14879004.
- Publication status:
- Published
- Peer review status:
- Peer reviewed
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- Files:
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(Preview, Version of record, pdf, 310.6KB, Terms of use)
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- Publisher copy:
- 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-083069
Authors
Contributors
- Institution:
- University of Oxford
- Division:
- MSD
- Department:
- NDORMS
- Sub department:
- Botnar Institute for Musculoskeletal Sciences
- Role:
- Contributor
- Funder identifier:
- https://ror.org/0187kwz08
- Grant:
- HTA 17/122/06
- RG.RMEX.115056
- Publisher:
- BMJ Publishing Group
- Journal:
- BMJ Open More from this journal
- Volume:
- 14
- Issue:
- 7
- Article number:
- e083069
- Place of publication:
- England
- Publication date:
- 2024-07-11
- Acceptance date:
- 2024-05-30
- DOI:
- EISSN:
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2044-6055
- Pmid:
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38991679
- Language:
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English
- Pubs id:
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2020986
- Local pid:
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pubs:2020986
- Deposit date:
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2025-03-18
- ARK identifier:
Terms of use
- Copyright holder:
- Arnold et al
- Copyright date:
- 2024
- Rights statement:
- © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ This is an open access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported (CC BY 4.0) license, which permits others to copy, redistribute, remix, transform and build upon this work for any purpose, provided the original work is properly cited, a link to the licence is given, and indication of whether changes were made.
- Licence:
- CC Attribution (CC BY)
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