Osteoarthritis of the hip

Specialty: Joint pain
Age group: Adult

Criteria for referral to public hospital specialist clinic services

• Identified osteoarthritis of the hip with ongoing moderate or severe pain and/or functional impairment, despite at least 3 months of treatment that has included targeted education, physiotherapy and weight loss (where appropriate).

Information to be included in the referral

Information that must be provided

• Reason for referral and expectation, or outcome, anticipated by the patient, or their carer, and the referring clinician from referral to the health service
• Description of joint affected and onset, nature and duration of symptoms
• Findings on physical examination
• How symptoms are impacting on daily activities including impact on work, study or carer role and level of sleep disturbance
• Details of previous medical and non-medical management including the course of treatments and outcome of treatments
• x-ray of the affected hip: anteroposterior (AP) view of pelvis and affected hip showing proximal 2/3 femur, and lateral view of affected hip including weight bearing / standing views.

Provide if available

• Results from most recent hip and knee questionnaire, or similar symptom burden questionnaire
• Current and complete medication history (including non-prescription medicines, herbs and supplements and recreational or injectable drugs)
• Statement about the patient’s interest in having surgical treatment if that is a possible intervention
• If the person identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
• If the person is part of a vulnerable population
• Details of any previous joint surgery.

Additional comments

The Summary and referral information lists the information that should be included in a referral request.

Where appropriate and available, the referral may be directed to an alternative specialist clinic or service.

MRI scans are not required if osteoarthritis is shown on x-ray.

There are other statewide referral criteria that include reference to hip pain:

• Inflammatory arthritis
• Other hip conditions

Vulnerable populations include:

• people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
• older Australians
• carers of people with chronic conditions
• people experiencing socio-economic disadvantage
• people living in remote, or rural and regional locations
• people with a disability
• people with mental illness
• people who are, or have been, incarcerated.

Vulnerable patient groups also include terminally ill patients, patients with experiences of family violence, in out-of-home care, foster care and those in state care.

Referral to a public hospital is not appropriate for

• Osteoarthritis of the hip where at least 3 months of treatment that included targeted education, physiotherapy and weight loss (where appropriate) has not been trialled.