A review of specialties performing temporal artery biopsies in Ontario: a retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Temporal artery biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of giant cell arteritis, but the numbers and types of surgical specialists performing temporal artery biopsies are unknown. The goal of this study was to determine which surgical specialists performed temporal artery biopsies and how geographic location influenced this trend over a period of 10 years.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study included all physicians practising in Ontario from 2002 to 2013. Using comprehensive physician services data from the IntelliHEALTH Medical Services database, physicians performing temporal artery biopsies were identified by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan billing code submitted for remuneration. Physicians were categorized by specialty and geographic Local Health

SUBMITTER: Micieli JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4593411 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jul-Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature