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Lex JR, Pincus D, Paterson JM, Widdifield J, Chaudhry H, Fowler R, Hawker G, Ravi B. Association between immigration status and total knee arthroplasty outcomes in Ontario, Canada: a population-based matched cohort study. Can J Surg 2024; 67:E228-E235. [PMID: 38729643 PMCID: PMC11090629 DOI: 10.1503/cjs.013723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immigrants and refugees face unique challenges navigating the health care system to manage severe arthritis, because of unfamiliarity, lack of awareness of surgical options, or access. The purpose of this study was to assess total knee arthroplasty (TKA) uptake, surgical outcomes, and hospital utilization among immigrants and refugees compared with Canadian-born patients. METHODS We included all adults undergoing primary TKA from January 2011 to December 2020 in Ontario. Cohorts were defined as Canadian-born or immigrants and refugees. We assessed change in yearly TKA utilization for trend. We compared differences in 1-year revision, infection rates, 30-day venous thromboembolism (VTE), presentation to emergency department, and hospital readmission between matched Canadian-born and immigrant and refugee groups. RESULTS We included 158 031 TKA procedures. A total of 11 973 (7.6%) patients were in the immigrant and refugee group, and 146 058 (92.4%) patients were in the Canadian-born group. The proportion of TKAs in Ontario performed among immigrants and refugees nearly doubled over the 10-year study period (p < 0.001). After matching, immigrants were at relatively lower risk of 1-year revision (0.9% v. 1.6%, p < 0.001), infection (p < 0.001), death (p = 0.004), and surgical complications (p < 0.001). No differences were observed in rates of 30-day VTE or length of hospital stay. Immigrants were more likely to be discharged to rehabilitation (p < 0.001) and less likely to present to the emergency department (p < 0.001) than Canadian-born patients. CONCLUSION Compared with Canadian-born patients, immigrants and refugees have favourable surgical outcomes and similar rates of resource utilization after TKA. We observed an underutilization of these procedures in Ontario relative to their proportion of the population. This may reflect differences in perceptions of chronic pain or barriers accessing arthroplasty.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johnathan R Lex
- From the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Lex, Pincus, Chaudhry, Ravi); the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ont. (Lex); the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Pincus, Chaudhry); ICES, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield); the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield, Fowler, Hawker); the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Fowler, Ravi); the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Hawker)
| | - Daniel Pincus
- From the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Lex, Pincus, Chaudhry, Ravi); the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ont. (Lex); the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Pincus, Chaudhry); ICES, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield); the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield, Fowler, Hawker); the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Fowler, Ravi); the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Hawker)
| | - J Michael Paterson
- From the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Lex, Pincus, Chaudhry, Ravi); the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ont. (Lex); the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Pincus, Chaudhry); ICES, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield); the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield, Fowler, Hawker); the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Fowler, Ravi); the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Hawker)
| | - Jessica Widdifield
- From the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Lex, Pincus, Chaudhry, Ravi); the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ont. (Lex); the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Pincus, Chaudhry); ICES, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield); the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield, Fowler, Hawker); the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Fowler, Ravi); the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Hawker)
| | - Harman Chaudhry
- From the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Lex, Pincus, Chaudhry, Ravi); the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ont. (Lex); the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Pincus, Chaudhry); ICES, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield); the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield, Fowler, Hawker); the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Fowler, Ravi); the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Hawker)
| | - Rob Fowler
- From the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Lex, Pincus, Chaudhry, Ravi); the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ont. (Lex); the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Pincus, Chaudhry); ICES, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield); the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield, Fowler, Hawker); the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Fowler, Ravi); the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Hawker)
| | - Gillian Hawker
- From the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Lex, Pincus, Chaudhry, Ravi); the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ont. (Lex); the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Pincus, Chaudhry); ICES, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield); the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield, Fowler, Hawker); the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Fowler, Ravi); the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Hawker)
| | - Bheeshma Ravi
- From the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Lex, Pincus, Chaudhry, Ravi); the Orthopaedic Biomechanics Laboratory, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ont. (Lex); the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Pincus, Chaudhry); ICES, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield); the Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Paterson, Widdifield, Fowler, Hawker); the Sunnybrook Research Institute, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ont. (Fowler, Ravi); the Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. (Hawker)
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Schenker C, Wertli MM, Räber L, Haynes AG, Chiolero A, Rodondi N, Panczak R, Aujesky D. Regional variation and temporal trends in transcatheter and surgical aortic valve replacement in Switzerland: A population-based small area analysis. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296055. [PMID: 38190381 PMCID: PMC10773935 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aortic valve stenosis (AS) is the most common valvular heart disease and if severe, is treated with either transcatheter (TAVR) or surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). We assessed temporal trends and regional variation of these interventions in Switzerland and examined potential determinants of geographic variation. METHODS We conducted a population-based analysis using patient discharge data from all Swiss public and private acute care hospitals from 2013 to 2018. We generated hospital service areas (HSAs) based on patient flows for TAVR. We calculated age-standardized mean procedure rates and variation indices (extremal quotient [EQ] and systematic component of variation [SCV]). Using multilevel regression, we calculated the influence of calendar year and regional demographics, socioeconomic factors (language, insurance status), burden of disease, and number of cardiologists/cardiovascular surgeons on geographic variation. RESULTS Overall, 8074 TAVR and 11,825 SAVR procedures were performed in 8 HSAs from 2013 to 2018. Whereas the age-/sex-standardized rate of TAVR increased from 12 to 22 procedures/100,000 persons, the SAVR rate decreased from 33 to 24 procedures during this period. After full adjustment, the predicted TAVR and SAVR rates varied from 12 to 22 and 20 to 35 per 100,000 persons across HSAs, respectively. The regional procedure variation was low to moderate over time, with a low overall variation in TAVR (EQ 1.9, SCV 3.9) and SAVR (EQ 1.6, SCV 2.2). In multilevel regression, TAVR rates increased annually by 10% and SAVR rates decreased by 5%. Determinants of higher TAVR rates were older age, male sex, living in a German speaking area, and higher burden of disease. A higher proportion of (semi)private insurance was also associated with higher TAVR and lower SAVR rates. After full adjustment, 10.6% of the variance in TAVR and 18.4% of the variance in SAVR remained unexplained. Most variance in TAVR and SAVR rates was explained by language region and insurance status. CONCLUSION The geographic variation in TAVR and SAVR rates was low to moderate across Swiss regions and largely explained by differences in regional demographics and socioeconomic factors. The use of TAVR increased at the expense of SAVR over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Schenker
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maria M. Wertli
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Internal Medicine, Cantonal Hospital Baden, Baden, Switzerland
| | - Lorenz Räber
- Department of Cardiology, Inselspital, Bern Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Arnaud Chiolero
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Rodondi
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Radoslaw Panczak
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Drahomir Aujesky
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Rubery PT, Ramirez G, Kwak A, Thirukumaran C. Racial/ethnic and income-based differences in the use of surgery for cervical and lumbar disorders in New York State: a retrospective analysis. Spine J 2023:S1529-9430(23)03465-4. [PMID: 37890728 DOI: 10.1016/j.spinee.2023.10.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND CONTEXT The extent to which use of spine surgeries for patients with cervical and lumbar disorders varies by their race/ethnicity and income is currently unknown. PURPOSE To assess racial/ethnic and income-based differences in use of spine surgery in New York State (NYS) from 2016 to 2019. STUDY DESIGN Retrospective observational analysis using 2016 to 2019 New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) data, direct standardization, and multivariable mixed-effects linear regression models. METHODS A dataset of patients who underwent surgery for cervical and spinal disorders in NYS in the period 2016 to 2019 was used to determine county-level age- and sex-standardized annual cervical and lumbar surgery rates expressed as number of surgeries per 10,000 individuals. Further sub-analysis was performed with the key independent variables being the combination of individual-level race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic individuals) and income (low-/high-income residing in zip codes below/above state median income); and year. We estimated multivariable mixed-effects linear regression models which controlled county-level variables to determine the adjusted rates of spine surgeries for patients belonging to various race/ethnicity and income group combinations. RESULTS The study included 29,650 and 42,498 patients in the cervical and lumbar cohorts, respectively. In 2019, the county-level mean cervical and lumbar surgery rates were 3.88 and 5.19 surgeries per 10,000 individuals, respectively. There was a five-fold rate variation across NYS. In 2019, the adjusted cervical rates were 4.59 (White low-income), 4.96 (White high-income), 7.20 (Black low-income), 3.01 (Black high-income), 4.37 (Hispanic low-income), and 1.17 (Hispanic high-income). The adjusted lumbar rates were 5.49 (White low-income), 6.31 (White high-income), 9.43 (Black low-income), 2.47 (Black high-income), 4.22 (Hispanic low-income), and 2.02 (Hispanic high-income). The rates for low-income Black or Hispanic patients were significantly higher than their high-income counterparts. Low-income Black patients had the highest rates. Over the study period, the gap/difference increased significantly between high-income Hispanic and White individuals by 2.19 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -4.27, -0.10, p=.04) for cervical surgery; and between low-income Black and White individuals by 2.82 (2.82, 95% CI: 0.59, 5.06, p=.01) for lumbar surgery. CONCLUSION There are differences in the rates of spine surgery in New York State, among identifiable groups. Black individuals from poorer zip codes experience relatively higher spine surgery rates. Understanding the drivers of surgical rate variation is key to improving the equitable delivery of spine care. A better understanding of such rate variations could inform health policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul T Rubery
- Department of Orthopaedics - University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Box 665, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Center for Musculoskeletal Research - University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY 14642, USA.
| | - Gabriel Ramirez
- Department of Orthopaedics - University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Box 665, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Center for Musculoskeletal Research - University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Amelia Kwak
- University of Rochester, 500 Joseph C. Wilson Blvd., Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Caroline Thirukumaran
- Department of Orthopaedics - University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave, Box 665, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Center for Musculoskeletal Research - University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY 14642, USA; Department of Public Health Sciences - University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Ave., Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Brauer L, Geraedts M. Exploring regional healthcare utilisation and quality of care for endometriosis in rural areas in Hesse, Germany: a mixed methods study protocol. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e074259. [PMID: 37620261 PMCID: PMC10450047 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-074259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The need of a regional healthcare monitoring in order to evaluate quality and utilisation of health services in smaller scale is internationally and in Germany well established. Little is known about variation in healthcare in rural German areas, especially for women's health. In particular, endometriosis is highly prevalent and known to be unsatisfactorily treated. Thus, this study aims to investigate utilisation and quality of care, the influence of structural determinants on quality and the patient's experiences on endometriosis healthcare in rural Hesse. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We will use a mixed methods approach to ensure reliable mapping of the care situation for endometriosis patients in seven counties in Central and Eastern Hesse. First, retrospective secondary utilisation data and quality indicators will be used to describe possible regional variation in the treatment of endometriosis in the outpatient and inpatient sector. Second, we compare structural determinants of regions with quality of care. Third, we conduct qualitative, semistructured interviews with endometriosis patients on their perspective and experiences in those chosen rural regions. Data will then be analysed using descriptive statistics, small area variation analyses and multifactorial analyses of variance (ANOVAs). The interview will be interpreted using the experience-focused phenomenological approach. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study has been approved by the ethics committee of Philipps-University Marburg. Utilisation data and structural determinants are anonymised and partly aggregated. The interview will use tokens for pseudonymisation to prevent the collected data from being assigned to an individual person. Also, informed consent will be obtained from patients.The results of this study will be reported to the scientific community in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences. A summary of the key findings will be provided to the interviewed patients and the Endometriosis Association Germany.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Brauer
- Institute for Health Services Research and Clinical Epidemiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Hessen, Germany
| | - Max Geraedts
- Institute for Health Services Research and Clinical Epidemiology, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Marburg, Hessen, Germany
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Postler AE, Lützner C, Goronzy J, Lange T, Deckert S, Günther KP, Lützner J. When are patients with osteoarthritis referred for surgery? Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol 2023; 37:101835. [PMID: 37263807 DOI: 10.1016/j.berh.2023.101835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Current treatment strategies in hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) involve a combined approach that includes not only modification of risk factors and conservative treatment but also joint-preserving surgical therapy in the early stages, or joint replacement in late OA. With the recent development of new etiological concepts (i.e. hip dysplasia and femoroacetabular impingement as major risk factors for hip OA), treatment alternatives for joint preservation could be extended significantly. Satisfactory results of osteotomies and other reconstructive procedures around hip and knee joints can only be expected in early OA (Kellgren/Lawrence grade 0-II). If patients with advanced radiographic OA grades III-IV do not respond to conservative treatment over at least 3 months and express a relevant burden of disease, joint replacement might be considered. Prior to surgery, potential contraindications must be excluded, patient expectations need to be discussed, and modifiable risk factors, which may negatively influence the outcome, should be optimized.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Postler
- Department for Orthopaedic, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Germany.
| | - C Lützner
- Department for Orthopaedic, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Germany; Center for Evidence-based Healthcare, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Germany.
| | - J Goronzy
- Department for Orthopaedic, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Germany.
| | - T Lange
- Center for Evidence-based Healthcare, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Germany.
| | - S Deckert
- Center for Evidence-based Healthcare, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus and Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Germany.
| | - K P Günther
- Department for Orthopaedic, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Germany.
| | - J Lützner
- Department for Orthopaedic, Trauma and Plastic Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Germany.
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López Galiano IC, Echeverry-Mejía J, Ortiz JG, Zambrano HR, Juha M. Design of titanium uncemented femoral stems for hip prosthesis suitable for the Colombian young adult population. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2023:1-11. [PMID: 37145102 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2023.2205978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The increase of revision surgeries in hip replacement procedure in Colombian young adult population can be addressed by a new design of femoral stem that reduces stress shielding. A new femoral stem was designed using topology optimization as a design aid to reduce the mass in the femoral stem and its overall stiffness, combined with the theoretical, computational, and experimental assessment of the new design that complies with a static and fatigue safety factor greater than one. The new femoral stem design can be used as a design tool to reduce the number of revision surgeries caused by stress shielding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Camilo López Galiano
- Doctorado en Ingeniería, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de La Sabana, Campus Universitario del Puente del Común, Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia
- Human Centered Design (HCD) Research Group, Universidad de La Sabana, Campus Universitario del Puente del Común, Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - Julián Echeverry-Mejía
- Escuela de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Campus Aguascalientes, Los Pocitos, Aguascalientes, México
| | - Juan Guillermo Ortiz
- Clínica Universidad de La Sabana, Campus Universitario del Puente del Común, Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia
| | - Habib R Zambrano
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Grupo GIMYP, Universidad del Norte, Barranquilla, Colombia
| | - Mario Juha
- Energy, Materials and Environment (GEMA) Research Group, Universidad de La Sabana, Campus Universitario del Puente del Común, Chía, Cundinamarca, Colombia
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Struja T, Suter F, Rohrmann S, Koch D, Mueller B, Schuetz P, Kutz A. Comparison of Cardiovascular Procedure Rates in Patients With Supplementary vs Basic Insurance in Switzerland. JAMA Netw Open 2023; 6:e2251965. [PMID: 36662521 PMCID: PMC9860525 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.51965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Switzerland's mandatory health insurance provides universal coverage, but residents can opt for supplementary private insurance for nonessential, nonvital amenities. It is debated whether people with supplementary private insurance receive overtreatment due to financial incentives. Objective To assess whether incidence rates of cardiovascular procedures in people with supplementary private insurance are higher than in those with basic insurance only. Design, Setting, and Participants A population-based weighted cohort comparative effectiveness study, using administrative claims data from Switzerland assessing incidence rates (IRs), was conducted in adults undergoing a nonemergency cardiovascular inpatient procedure from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2020. Analysis included primary or secondary discharge procedure codes for 1 of the following: percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), left atrial appendage (LAA) occlusion, patent foramen ovale (PFO) closure, transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), mitral valve clip implantation, cardiac pacemaker implantation, and atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter ablation. Exposures Supplementary private health insurance. Main Outcomes and Measures Incidence rates of cardiovascular procedures between insurance groups calculated by negative binomial regression adjusted by inverse probability weights. Results Of 590 919 admissions (median age, 68 years; IQR, 57-77 years), 55.5% male, 15.7% non-Swiss nationality), 70.1% had basic insurance only. Independent of insurance status, IR for all cardiovascular procedures steadily increased over the study years. In general, people with supplementary private insurance received cardiovascular procedures more frequently (IR ratio [IRR], 1.11; 99% CI, 1.10-1.11) than people with basic insurance only. There was also an increase for every procedure: PTCA (IRR, 1.12; 99% CI, 1.12-1.13), LAA closure (IRR, 1.15; 99% CI, 1.13-1.16), mitral valve clip implantation (IRR, 1.08; 99% CI, 1.07-1.09), TAVR (IRR, 1.04; 99% CI, 1.03-1.06), PFO closure (IRR, 1.01; 99% CI, 1.00-1.02), pacemaker implantation (IRR, 1.08; 99% CI, 1.07-1.09), and atrial fibrillation/atrial flutter ablation (IRR, 1.12; 99% CI, 1.11-1.12). Sensitivity analyses, including side procedures, stratification by length of stay, and propensity score matching, suggested robustness of the results. Conclusions and Relevance This study found an association between supplementary private insurance and a higher likelihood of receiving nonemergency cardiovascular procedures. Whether this higher rate of procedures in people with supplementary private insurance is based on clinical reasoning or due to financial incentives warrants further exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tristan Struja
- Medical University Clinic, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Flurina Suter
- Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Rohrmann
- Division of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Daniel Koch
- Medical University Clinic, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland
| | - Beat Mueller
- Medical University Clinic, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland
- Medical Faculty of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Schuetz
- Medical University Clinic, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland
- Medical Faculty of the University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Kutz
- Medical University Clinic, Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau, Switzerland
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Moser A, von Wyl V, Höglinger M. Health and social behaviour through pandemic phases in Switzerland: Regional time-trends of the COVID-19 Social Monitor panel study. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256253. [PMID: 34432842 PMCID: PMC8386858 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Switzerland has a liberal implementation of Coronavirus mitigation measures compared to other European countries. Since March 2020, measures have been evolving and include a mixture of central and federalistic mitigation strategies across three culturally diverse language regions. The present study investigates a hypothesised heterogeneity in health, social behavior and adherence to mitigation measures across the language regions by studying pre-specified interaction effects. Our findings aim to support the communication of regionally targeted mitigation strategies and to provide evidence to address longterm population-health consequences of the pandemic by accounting for different pandemic contexts and cultural aspects. Methods We use data from from the COVID-19 Social Monitor, a longitudinal population-based online survey. We define five mitigation periods between March 2020 and May 2021. We use unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models to investigate a hypothesized interaction effect between mitigation periods and language regions on selected study outcomes covering the domains of general health and quality of life, mental health, loneliness/isolation, physical activity, health care use and adherence to mitigation measures. Results We analyze 2,163 (64%) participants from the German/Romansh-speaking part of Switzerland, 713 (21%) from the French-speaking part and 505 (15%) from the Italian-speaking part. We found evidence for an interaction effect between mitigation periods and language regions for adherence to mitigation measures, but not for other study outcomes (social behavior, health). The presence of poor quality of life, lack of energy, no physical activity, health care use, and the adherence to mitigation measures changed similarly over mitigation periods in all language regions. Discussion As the pandemic unfolded in Switzerland, also health and social behavior changed between March 2020 to May 2021. Changes in adherence to mitigation measures differ between language regions and reflect the COVID-19 incidence patterns in the investigated mitigation periods, with higher adherence in regions with previously higher incidence. Targeted communcation of mitigation measures and policy making should include cultural, geographical and socioeconomic aspects to address yet unknown long-term population health consequences caused by the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Moser
- CTU Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Viktor von Wyl
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Marc Höglinger
- Winterthur Institute of Health Economics, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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Bichsel D, Liechti FD, Schlapbach JM, Wertli MM. Cross-sectional Analysis of Recommendations for the Treatment of Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis in Clinical Guidelines. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2021; 103:559-569.e5. [PMID: 34411512 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2021.07.801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 07/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To compare guideline recommendations for hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA) and their level of evidence. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and websites of professional societies were searched in June 2020 using keywords such as knee or hip osteoarthritis, degenerative arthritis, guideline, and practice guideline. STUDY SELECTION General treatment guidelines for OA of the hip or knee published in English. After 461 abstracts were screened, 31 publications (17 guidelines from 10 professional societies) were included for analysis. DATA EXTRACTION Three reviewers assessed the quality of the guidelines according to the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation II tool. The rating of evidence and strength of recommendation was extracted and standardized into the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation criteria. DATA SYNTHESIS Of the 17 guidelines included, 6 (35%) were of high quality, 10 (59%) of moderate quality, and 1 (6%) of low quality. Guidelines published after 2017 were of good quality. Although guidelines generally agreed on a nonsurgical multimodal concept, including patient education, exercise, and weight loss in obese, some recommendations remained vague and the level of evidence varied widely. In pharmacologic treatment, oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were the mainstay for pain management. Guidelines published after 2017 were more cautious in their recommendation for the use of paracetamol and strong opioids. Disagreement was observed for chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, and intra-articular hyaluronic acid injections. Recommendations were conflicting for the use of insoles, braces, and transcutaneous electrical stimulation. The main indications for hip/knee arthroplasty were severe, persisting pain and loss of function despite nonsurgical treatment. No guideline defined a minimum time of conservative treatment before surgery. CONCLUSIONS We found a wide variation in evidence and strength of recommendations for OA treatment. Recommendations on when to refer patients for surgery remained unclear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Bichsel
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern; Kinderklinik, Kantonsspital Aarau, Aarau
| | - Fabian D Liechti
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern.
| | - Judith M Schlapbach
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern; Doktorzentrum Mutschellen, Berikon, Switzerland
| | - Maria M Wertli
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern
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Wertli MM, Zumbrunn B, Weber P, Haynes AG, Panczak R, Chiolero A, Rodondi N, Aujesky D. High regional variation in prostate surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia in Switzerland. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254143. [PMID: 34292959 PMCID: PMC8297757 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Among various treatment options for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), surgical therapy is the most invasive. As Switzerland has the highest transurethral prostatectomy rate among OECD countries, we assessed the regional variation in prostate surgery for BPH and explored potential determinants of variation. Methods We conducted a population-based analysis using discharge data for men aged ≥40 years with transurethral or simple prostatectomy from all Swiss hospitals during 2013–2018. After excluding patients with genitourinary/prostate cancer, we derived hospital service areas (HSAs) by analyzing patient flows. We calculated age-standardized mean procedure rates and variation indices (extremal quotient [EQ] and systematic component of variation [SCV]). We estimated the reduction in variance across HSAs of prostatectomy rates in multilevel regression models, with incremental adjustment for age, regional cultural and socioeconomic factors, disease burden, density of urologists, and the time since urologists’ graduation. Results Overall, 44,253 prostatectomies (42,710 transurethral and 1543 simple) from 44 HSAs were analyzed. The mean age-standardized prostate surgery rate was 314 (range 166–500) per 100,000 men aged ≥40 years per year. The EQ was 3.01 and the SCV 5.53, indicating a high regional variation. In multivariate models, men aged 75–79 years had an 11.6-fold higher prostatectomy rate than those aged 50–54 years. French/Italian language areas had a 21% lower rate than Swiss German speaking areas. Socioeconomic factors, disease burden, and density of urologist/time since graduation were not associated with prostatectomy rates. After full adjustment, 80% of the variance in prostate surgery across HSAs remained unexplained. Conclusion We found a remarkably high regional variation in prostate surgery rates for BPH within Switzerland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M. Wertli
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | - Brigitta Zumbrunn
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Weber
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | | | - Radoslaw Panczak
- Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Arnaud Chiolero
- Population Health Laboratory (#PopHealthLab), University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
- Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Occupational Health, School of Population and Global Health, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Rodondi
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Primary Health Care (BIHAM), University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Drahomir Aujesky
- Department of General Internal Medicine, Bern University Hospital, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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