Journal article
A comparison of one-year treatment utilization for shoulder osteoarthritis patients initiating care with nonorthopaedic physicians and orthopaedic specialists
BMC musculoskeletal disorders, Vol.19, 349
09/27/2018
DOI: 10.1186/s12891-018-2268-3
PMCID: PMC6161348
PMID: 30261923
Abstract
Background: In this paper we investigate patients seeking care for a new diagnosis of shoulder osteoarthritis (OA) and the association between a patient's initial physician specialty choice and one-year surgical and conservative treatment utilization.
Methods: Using retrospective data from a single large regional healthcare system, we identified 572 individuals with a new diagnosis of shoulder OA and identified the specialty of the physician which was listed as the performing physician on the index shoulder visit. We assessed treatment utilization in the year following the index shoulder visit for patients initiating care with a non-orthopaedic physician (NOP) or an orthopaedic specialist (OS). Descriptive statistics were calculated for each group and subsequent one-year surgical and conservative treatment utilization was compared between groups.
Results: Of the 572 patients included in the study, 474 (83%) received care from an OS on the date of their index shoulder visit, while 98 (17%) received care from a NOP. There were no differences in baseline patient age, gender, BMI or pain scores between groups. OS patients reported longer symptom duration and a higher rate of comorbid shoulder diagnoses. Patients initiating care with an OS on average received their first treatment much faster than patients initiating care with NOP (16.3 days [95% CI, 12.8, 19.7] vs. 32.3 days [95% CI, 21.0, 43.6], Z = 4.9, p < 0.01). Additionally, patients initiating care with an OS had higher odds of receiving surgery (OR = 2.65, 95% CI: 1.42, 4.95) in the year following their index shoulder visit.
Conclusions: Patients initiating care with an OS received treatment much faster and were treated with more invasive services over the year following their index shoulder visit. Future work should compare patient-reported outcomes across patient groups to assess whether more expensive and invasive treatments yield better outcomes for patients with shoulder OA.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A comparison of one-year treatment utilization for shoulder osteoarthritis patients initiating care with nonorthopaedic physicians and orthopaedic specialists
- Creators
- Sarah B. Floyd - University of South CarolinaCole G. Chapman - University of South CarolinaEllen Shanley - ATI Physical TherapyLauren Ruffrage - ATI Physical TherapyEldon Matthia - University of South CarolinaPeter Cooper - University of South CarolinaJohn M. Brooks - University of South Carolina
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- BMC musculoskeletal disorders, Vol.19, 349
- DOI
- 10.1186/s12891-018-2268-3
- PMID
- 30261923
- PMCID
- PMC6161348
- NLM abbreviation
- BMC Musculoskelet Disord
- ISSN
- 1471-2474
- eISSN
- 1471-2474
- Publisher
- Springer Nature
- Number of pages
- 10
- Grant note
- Center for Effectiveness Research in Orthopaedics
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 09/27/2018
- Academic Unit
- Pharmacy Practice and Science
- Record Identifier
- 9984365880202771
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