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Knee pain caused by osteoarthritis (OA) can be reduced by physical therapy (PT) and exercise (NEJM JW Gen Med May 15 2020 and N Engl J Med 2020; 382:1420). However, PT often is not prescribed or availability is limited, and patients often are not interested in exercise programs. In this U.S. Veterans Affairs study, researchers evaluated a stepwise intervention (STEP-KOA) that began with an Internet-based exercise program. After 3 months, participants not meeting response criteria progressed to step 2: biweekly telephone coaching to address barriers to physical activity. After 3 months of step 2, nonresponders went on to step 3: in-person PT visits.
About 350 patients with diagnosed knee OA and self-reported knee pain (≥3 on a 10-point scale)…