Unwarranted regional variation in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty in Switzerland: A population-based small area variation analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Percutaneous vertebroplasty (VP) and balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) for treating painful osteoporotic vertebral fractures are controversial.

Objective

We assessed the regional variation in the use of VP/BKP in Switzerland.

Methods

We conducted a population-based small area variation analysis using patient discharge data for VP/BKP from all Swiss hospitals and Swiss census data for calendar years 2012/13. We derived hospital service areas (HSAs) by analyzing patient flows, assigning regions from which most residents were discharged to the same VP/BKP specific HSA. We calculated age-/sex-standardized mean VP/BKP-rates and measures of regional variation (extremal quotient [EQ], systematic component of variation [SCV]). We estimated the reduction in variation of VP/

SUBMITTER: Scheuter C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6287855 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature