Cognitive Bias and Heuristics in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

Cognitive Bias and Heuristics in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis

This study aims to understand if certain cognitive biases and heuristics are present in patients with knee osteoarthritis being treated with open label placebo (saline injections in the knee). A predefined survey will investigate the affect heuristic and group interviews patients who have responded well or not so well respectively will be used to examine if other cognitive biases or heuristics are present.

Cognitive biases are systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, while heuristics are tactics, or mental shortcuts to aid in the decision-making process.

Cognitive biases (systematic patterns of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment) and heuristics (tactics, or mental shortcuts to aid in the decision-making process) are increasingly being used in healthcare to facilitate good health decisions, improved care, and in designing new interventions.It has also been shown that cognitive biases influence how patients rate their own health.

Less is known about which specific cognitive biases and/or heuristics that are in play when patients with knee osteoarthritis form their treatment expectations and evaluate their health following an intervention.

This study aims to understand if certain cognitive biases and heuristics are present in patients with knee (OA) being treated with open label intra-articular placebo injections.

Understanding which cognitive biases and/or heuristics that are in play when these patients evaluate their health outcome following open label placebo, allows future treatment context to be designed in a way that actively utilises these cognitive biases and/or heuristics to obtain a greater magnitude of response.

A global predefined questionnaire, evaluating the presence and strength of the affect heuristic, is sent to all participants from the study "Reinforcement of Treatment Response in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomised Trial" (Clinical trial.gov registration: NCT05225480). In addition investigators will invite responders and non-responders respectively from the same study to group interviews in order to produce a structured conceptualisation map; the group content mapping method.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Have participated in the study "Reinforcement of Treatment Response in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomised Trial" (Clinical trial.gov registration: NCT05225480)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Have not participated in the study "Reinforcement of Treatment Response in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomised Trial" (Clinical trial.gov registration: NCT05225480)