Objective: To describe older people's everyday experience and context of living with knee pain and disability, and to explore the potential of open-format diaries in accessing these experiences.
Methods: This was a diary study, embedded in a larger mixed-method study. Ten people who participated in a qualitative interview study volunteered to keep an open-format diary over a period of 1 week.
Results: Diaries provided current and historical details about people's lives and their health. The diaries set these experiences within the context of daily life, and combined description with reflection. Themes covered included: causes of pain, symptoms and treatments, consultations, and co-morbidity.
Discussion: Open-format diaries allow insights into the complex and contextual experience of pain and disability, and because of the contemporaneous detail, can be helpful to clinicians' holistic understanding of the impact of knee pain on people's quality of life. This method provides descriptive material that complements survey and qualitative interview data.