What Consumers Want: Identifying the Unmet Needs of Australians Living with Arthritis

The second of three reports prepared by Research Australia for Arthritis Australia, this study identifies the unmet healthcare needs reported by people living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), to inform consumer-aligned research investment. Conducted with behaviour change researchers from BehaviourWorks Australia at Monash University, it combined a desktop review of 81 Australian and international academic and grey literature sources, three condition-specific consumer roundtables and a consumer survey, engaging more than 100 people with lived experience. Key themes included difficulty obtaining an accurate diagnosis (42% of survey respondents saw multiple clinicians before diagnosis), poorly coordinated care, the value of allied health, exercise and diet alongside medication, the complexity and individuality of arthritis, and the need for mental health support and intersectional research. Consumers expressed strong willingness to be involved in research design.