Urban and Rural Patterns of Health Care Utilization Among People With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis in a Large US Patient Registry.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Rural residence has been associated with health disparities in rheumatic diseases and other chronic conditions in the United States. This study aimed to determine if a relationship exists between geographic residence and health care utilization outcomes for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) in a US-wide rheumatic disease registry.

Methods

Participants were in FORWARD, The National Databank for Rheumatic Diseases, a US-wide rheumatic disease longitudinal cohort completing questionnaires between 1999 and 2019. Health care utilization variables (ie, medical visits and diagnostic tests) from six-month questionnaires were analyzed by geographic categories (small rural/isolated, large rural, and urban). Double selection LASSO with Poisson regr

SUBMITTER: Desilet LW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11848965 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature