Management of progressive joint disorders by non-physician healthcare providers in South Africa: A mapping study to inform pharmacist integration
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Management of progressive joint disorders by non-physician healthcare providers in South Africa: A mapping study to inform pharmacist integration | |
| Creator | Modau, Tumelo Constantinou, Demitri Orchard, Ané | |
| Description | Background: Progressive joint disorders (PJDs), including osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and are leading causes of disability worldwide. Early multidisciplinary intervention is critical; however, delayed non-pharmacological management, fragmented referral pathways and limited integration of pharmacists, despite their potential role in medication management and early ‘red flag’ identification, remain common.Aim: To identify which PJDs are managed by which healthcare providers, to inform pharmacist referral pathways and promote integrated care.Setting: Non-physician healthcare providers (HCPs) in South Africa, including physiotherapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, podiatrists, osteopaths, biokineticists and other complementary therapy providers.Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was administered via REDCap® and distributed by professional bodies through email and professional association platform advertisements. Descriptive statistics and quantitative content analysis assessed condition management, referral practices and collaboration.Results: A total of 266 HCPs participated. Osteoarthritis (91.7%) and RA (84.6%) were the most managed conditions. High interprofessional collaboration was noted with physiotherapists (71.4%) and limited with pharmacists (23.3%). Most providers (76.3%) did not require referral letters. Referrals to and from other providers were common, but incoming referrals varied by profession. Internal consistency was acceptable (Cronbach’s α 0.70).Conclusion: Progressive joint disorders were predominantly managed by chiropractors, physiotherapists and biokineticists. Referral pathways were inconsistent, and pharmacist integration remained limited.Contribution: This study presents the first national mapping of non-physician roles in PJD management in South Africa, providing critical insights for future development of pharmacist-inclusive referral guidelines. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2026-05-11 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/phcfm.v18i1.5281 | |
| Source | African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine; Vol 18, No 1 (2026); 15 pages 2071-2936 2071-2928 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/5281/9272
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/5281/9273
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/5281/9274
https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/5281/9275
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