Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disease that commonly affects the knees and hips. It is a leading cause of chronic pain, disability, early retirement and lost productivity.
The initiative focuses on providing access to conservative care for people with osteoarthritis, before or while they wait for elective joint replacement surgery. It is based on the ACI’s Osteoarthritis Chronic Care Program Model of Care.
The clinical aims of this initiative are:
- improved pain and comorbidity management
- better function, mobility and quality of life
- improved readiness for surgery
- more appropriate surgical waitlists.
The information on this page is for clinicians and service providers. If you are a patient seeking a service in NSW, please visit the Osteoarthritis Chronic Care Program Service Directory.
Snapshot of osteoarthritis in NSW, 2019
More than 700,000 people
have osteoarthritis
This is expected to rise to
1 million by 2030
from 2005 to 2015
Model of care
Osteoarthritis Chronic Care Program Model of Care
A comprehensive, multidisciplinary model of care to enhance service delivery for people in NSW with osteoarthritis of the hip and/or knee.
For clinicians and services
What to improve
A summary of the four clinical components of the initiative:
- whole-of-person assessment
- coordination of conservative care
- regular review
- shared decision-making about surgery
How to improve
Explore options for different organisational models to tailor clinical services for your local requirements:
- coordinated multidisciplinary care
- coordinator model
For patients
Published: March 2025. Next review: 2030.
- Key facts about osteoarthritis (PDF 370.7 KB)
Learn how to live well through education, self-management and a healthy lifestyle. - Plan for living well with osteoarthritis (PDF 242.9 KB)
Checklists guide you on how to improve symptoms and your overall health. - Role of joint replacement surgery (PDF 287.7 KB)
Thinking about joint replacement surgery? Find out what it involves and consider the risks. - Planning for joint replacement surgery (PDF 292.7 KB)
Checklists guide you to ensure your health is optimal so you have the best possible result.
Additional resources
- Service directory
- Site manual
- Assessment tool and Self assessment tool (Excel)
- Monitoring and evaluation plan
Contact the Musculoskeletal Network
Email ACI-Musculoskeletal@health.nsw.gov.au or visit the Musculoskeletal Network.