Shoulder Osteoarthritis Research Priorities Study

Shoulder osteoarthritis is a painful condition that affects the shoulder joint. It makes it harder to move, leading to stiffness and pain.

People who have shoulder osteoarthritis often find it lowers their quality of life. It’s also getting more common, placing growing pressure on both the people who have it and the healthcare system. In line with this, the number of shoulder joints being replaced doubled between 2009 and 2019. By 2035, research predicts that shoulder osteoarthritis will cost the healthcare system $312.6 million. Yet, despite its large burden, we don’t know much about it. This is as most osteoarthritis research has focussed on the hip and knee joints.

As a result, there is little knowledge on how best to treat shoulder osteoarthritis. To improve the care and outcomes for people with shoulder osteoarthritis, we need research that targets the condition. We need your help to change this. We want you to tell us what questions you believe future research should explore. We want to hear from people who have shoulder osteoarthritis, their carers, and the healthcare workers who treat it. These three groups will work together to find the ‘Top 10 questions’ for future shoulder osteoarthritis research.

Our project is called the Shoulder Osteoarthritis Research Priorities study and includes people from both Australia and New Zealand. We are a global team of people living with shoulder osteoarthritis, their carers, healthcare workers and researchers. We will follow a five-step approach made by the James Lind Alliance. This approach ensures to include a balance of patient, carers and healthcare workers. Our method places inclusivity and transparency at the heart of the work. We aim to find the key, unanswered questions about shoulder osteoarthritis from the views of those it affects. The process will include:

A survey asking questions for research from most people with shoulder osteoarthritis, their carers, and the healthcare workers who support them.
Sorting these questions into themes and checking current research to remove any that have been answered by past research.
A follow up survey where the people taking part tell us which questions matter the most.
A final workshop where patients, carers, and healthcare workers will work side by side. Jointly, they will agree on a ‘Top 10’ list of topics for future research.
This list will then be shared with researchers, policy makers, and funders.

Our goal is to help ensure research reflects the needs of the people it impacts the most. This will lead to improved outcomes for people with shoulder osteoarthritis.

You can take our short survey now to add your voice and shape future research. To take part, you must: