Practice variation in surgical treatment for lumbar degenerative disc disease: exploring regional and hospital factors influencing surgical rates.

ABSTRACT: The presence of significant, unwarranted variation in treatment suggests that clinical decision making also depends on where patients live instead of what they need and prefer. Historically, high practice variation in surgical treatment for lumbar degenerative disc disease (LDDD) has been documented. This study aimed to investigate current regional variation in surgical treatment for sciatica resulting from LDDD. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional analysis of all Dutch adults (>18 years) between 2016 and 2019. Demographic data from Statistics Netherlands were merged with a nationwide claims database, covering over 99% of the population. Inclusion criteria comprised LDDD diagnosis codes and relevant surgical codes. Practice variation was assessed at the level of postal code areas

SUBMITTER: van Munster JJCM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11039650 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature