Primary Care Provider Density and Elective Total Joint Replacement Outcomes.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Primary care physicians (PCPs) are often gatekeepers to specialist care. This study assessed the relationship between PCP density and total knee (TKA) and total hip arthroplasty (THA) outcomes.

Methods

We obtained patient-level data from an institutional registry on patients undergoing elective primary TKA and THA for osteoarthritis, including Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain and function scores at baseline and 2 years. Using geocoding, we identified the number of PCPs in the patient's census tract (communities). We used Augmented Inverse Probability Weighting and Cross-validated Targeted Minimum Loss-Based Estimation to compare provider density and outcomes adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

Our sample i

SUBMITTER: Mehta B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8430425 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature