Patient education for the management of subacromial pain syndrome: A scoping review

Objective: To identify the extent of the literature on patient education for subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS).

Methods: A scoping review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR standards. Nine databases were searched until November 2022 to identify articles describing patient education interventions for the management of SAPS. Interventions were extracted and described according to the Template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) checklist and the core sets for shoulder-related health conditions of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Results: Sixty studies of various designs met the inclusion criteria, including thirty RCTs. Patient education was a primary intervention in seven of the included RCTs. In most of the educational interventions identified in the included studies, the descriptions did not adequately cover a majority of the TIDieR's checklist items. Patient education content was often mentioned and covered most, but not all, of the ICF core sets for shoulder disorders.

Conclusion: Available data in current literature on patient education interventions for SAPS is scarce and lacks description.

Practice implications: This study presents the content elements of patient education for the management of SAPS that are described in the literature and that clinicians could consider when treating individuals with SAPS.