The INJECT project (INjections for the Joint: Experiences and Concerns with Treatment) investigates patients’ attitudes about having intra-articular injection treatments for knee osteoarthritis (OA) and providers’ perceptions of the utility of these treatments. Intra-articular injections are treatments given by injection into the knee joint with the goal of relieving pain. There are several such treatments now on the market, and there is interest in developing more. As such, it is important to understand how patients and providers feel about these treatments, including expected benefits and risks and any fears or concerns.

For our patient analysis, we held several focus groups composed of patients who have received treatment for knee OA at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Some had intra-articular injections in the past, while others had not. We then conducted a qualitative analysis of the focus group transcripts to understand:

1. Participants’ perceptions of injection treatments, including expected benefits and risks

2. Fears about injections

3. Other considerations when choosing new treatments

4. Aspects of treatments that could be modified to make them more acceptable

For our provider analysis, we conducted interviews with providers who commonly treat knee OA, including rheumatologists, orthopaedic surgeons, and physiatrists. We then conducted a qualitative analysis of the interview transcripts to understand the factors these providers take into consideration when deciding whether or not to recommend intra-articular injections to patients.

This study is supported by Flexion Therapeutics.