Influences on the decision to use an osteoarthritis diagnosis in primary care: a cohort study with linked survey and electronic health record data

Recording OA diagnoses are less common than recording a joint pain symptom and associated with risk factors and severity. OA studies in primary care need to consider joint pain symptoms to understand the burden and quality of care across the spectrum of OA. Patients recorded with joint pain may represent early cases of OA with need for early intervention.