Healthcare disparities: patients' perspectives on barriers to joint replacement.

OBJECTIVE: Racial and ethnic disparities in arthroplasty utilization are evident, but the reasons are not known. We aimed to identify concerns that may contribute to barriers to arthroplasty from the patient's perspective. METHODS: We identified patients' concerns about arthroplasty by performing a mixed methods study. Themes identified during semi-structured interviews with Black and Hispanic patients with advanced symptomatic hip or knee arthritis were used to develop a questionnaire to quantify and prioritize their concerns. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the association between race/ethnicity and the importance of each theme. Models were adjusted for sex, insurance, education, HOOS, JR/KOOS, JR, and discussion of joint replacement with a doctor. RESULTS: Interviews with eight participants reached saturation and provided five themes used to develop a survey answered by 738 (24%) participants; 75.5% White, 10.3% Black, 8.7% Hispanic, 3.9% Asian/Other. Responses were significantly different between groups (p < 0.05). Themes identified were "Trust in the surgeon" "Recovery", "Cost/Insurance", "Surgical outcome", and "Personal suitability/timing". Compared to Whites, Blacks were two-fold, Hispanics four-fold more likely to rate "Trust in the surgeon" as very/extremely important. Blacks were almost three times and Hispanics over six times more likely to rate "Recovery" as very/extremely important. CONCLUSION: We identified factors of importance to patients that may contribute to barriers to arthroplasty, with marked differences between Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Total Joint Arthroplasty Care: A Contemporary Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is one of the most common surgical procedures in the United States; however, racial and ethnic disparities in utilizations and outcomes have been well documented. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated associations between race/ethnicity and several metrics in total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: In August 2021, PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and SPORTDiscus databases were queried. Sixty three studies investigating racial/ethnic disparities in TJA utilizations, complications, mortalities, lengths of stay (LOS), discharge dispositions, readmissions, and reoperations were included. Study quality was assessed using a modified Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. RESULTS: A majority of studies demonstrated disparities in TJA utilizations and outcomes. Black patients exhibited higher rates of 30-day complications (THA odds ratio [OR] 1.18, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.08-1.29; TKA OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.10-1.31), 30-day mortality (THA OR 1.27, 95% CI 1.08-1.48), prolonged LOS (THA mean difference [MD] +0.27 days, 95% CI 0.21-0.33; TKA MD +0.30 days, 95% CI 0.20-0.40), nonhome discharges (THA OR 1.47, 95% CI 1.37-1.57; TKA OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.38-1.96), and 30-day readmissions (THA OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.08-1.19; TKA OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.16-1.21) than White patients. Rates of complications (THA 1.18, 95% CI 1.03-1.36), prolonged LOS (TKA MD +0.20 days, 95% CI 0.17-0.23), and nonhome discharges (THA OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.10-1.45; TKA OR 1.37, 95% CI 1.22-1.53) were also increased among Hispanic patients, while Asian patients experienced longer LOS (TKA MD +0.09 days, 95% CI 0.05-0.12) but fewer readmissions. Outcomes among American Indian-Alaska Native and Pacific Islander patients were infrequently reported but similarly inequitable. CONCLUSION: Racial and ethnic disparities in TJA utilizations and outcomes are apparent, with minority patients often demonstrating lower rates of utilizations and worse postoperative outcomes than White patients. Continued research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of recent efforts dedicated to eliminating inequalities in TJA care. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Emerging Racial Disparities in Outpatient Utilization of Total Joint Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Racial and ethnic disparities within the field of total joint arthroplasty (TJA) have been extensively reported. To date, however, it remains unknown how these disparities have translated to the outpatient TJA (OP-TJA) setting. The purposes of this study were to compare relative OP-TJA utilization rates between White and Black patients from 2011-2019 and assess how these differences in utilization have evolved over time. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review from 2011-2019 using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). Differences in the relative utilization of OP (same-day discharge) versus inpatient TJA between White and Black patients were assessed and trended over time. Multivariable logistic regressions were run to adjust for baseline patient factors and comorbidities. RESULTS: During the study period, Black patients were significantly less likely to undergo OP-TJA when compared to White patients (P < .001 for both outpatient total knee arthroplasty and outpatient total hip arthroplasty [OP-THA]). From 2011 to 2019, an emerging disparity was found in outpatient total knee arthroplasty and OP-THA utilization between White and Black patients (eg, White versus Black OP-THA: 0.4% versus 0.6% in 2011 compared with 10.2% versus 5.9% in 2019, Ptrend < .001). These results held in all adjusted analyses. CONCLUSION: In this study we found evidence of emerging and worsening racial disparities in the relative utilization of OP-TJA procedures between White and Black patients. These results highlight the need for early intervention by orthopaedic surgeons and policy makers alike to address these emerging inequalities in access to care before they become entrenched within our systems of orthopaedic care.

Medicare/Medicaid Insurance Status Is Associated With Reduced Lower Bilateral Knee Arthroplasty Utilization and Higher Complication Rates.

Whether to undergo bilateral total knee arthroplasty (BTKA) depends on patient and surgeon preferences. We used the National Inpatient Sample to compare temporal trends in BTKA utilization and in-hospital complication rates among TKA patients ≥50 with Medicare/Medicaid versus private insurance from 2007 to 2016. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between insurance type and trends in utilization and complication rates adjusting for individual-, hospital-, and community-level covariates, using unilateral TKA (UTKA) for reference. Discharge weights were used for nationwide estimates. About 132,400 (49.5%) Medicare/Medicaid patients and 135,046 (50.5%) privately insured patients underwent BTKA. Among UTKA patients, 62.7% had Medicare/Medicaid, and 37.3% had private insurance. Over the study period, BTKA utilization rate decreased from 7.18% to 5.63% among privately insured patients and from 4.59% to 3.13% among Medicaid/Medicare patients (P trend difference <0.0001). In multivariable analysis, Medicare/Medicaid patients were less likely to receive BTKA than privately insured patients. Although Medicare/Medicaid patients were more likely to develop in-hospital complications after UTKA (adjusted odds ratio, 1.06; 95% confidence interval, 1.002 to 1.12; P = 0.04), this relationship was not statistically significant for BTKAs. In this nationwide sample of TKA patients, BTKA utilization rate was higher in privately insured patients compared with Medicare/Medicaid patients. Furthermore, privately insured patients had lower in-hospital complication rates than Medicare/Medicaid patients.

Perception of Risk: A Poll of American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons Members.

BACKGROUND: Providers of total hip and knee replacements are being judged regarding quality/cost by payers using competition-based performance measures with poor medical and no socioeconomic risk adjustment. Providers might assume that other providers shed risk and the perception of added risk can influence practice. A poll was collected to examine such perceptions. METHODS: In 2019 a poll was sent to the 2800 surgeon members of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons using Survey Monkey while protecting respondent anonymity/confidentiality. The questions asked whether the perception of poorly risk-adjusted medical comorbidities and socioeconomic risk factors influence surgeons to selectively offer surgery. RESULTS: There were 474 surgeon responses. Prior to elective total hip arthroplasty/total knee arthroplasty, 95% address modifiable risk factors; 52% require a body mass index <40, 64% smoking cessation, 96% an adequate hemoglobin A1C; 82% check nutrition; and 63% expect control of alcohol 2. Due to lack of socioeconomic risk adjustment, 83% reported feeling pressure to avoid/restrict access to patients with limited social support, specifically the following: Medicaid/underinsured, 81%; African Americans, 29%; Hispanics/ethnicities, 27%; and low socioeconomic status, 73%. Of the respondents, 93% predicted increased access to care with more appropriate risk adjustment. CONCLUSION: Competition-based quality/cost performance measures influence surgeons to focus on medical risk factors in offering lower extremity arthroplasty. The lack of socioeconomic risk adjustment leads to perceptions of added risk from such factors as well. This leads to marginal loss of access for patients within certain medical and socioeconomic classes, contributing to existing healthcare disparities. This represents an unintended consequence of competition-based performance measures.

Assessment of a Satisfaction Measure for Use After Primary Total Joint Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Patient satisfaction after total hip (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a core outcome selected by the Outcomes Measurement in Rheumatology. Up to 20% of THA/TKA patients are dissatisfied. Improving patient satisfaction is hindered by the lack of a validated measurement tool that can accurately measure change. METHODS: The psychometric properties of a proposed satisfaction instrument, consisting of 4 questions rated on a Likert scale, scored 1-100, were tested for validity, reliability, and sensitivity to change using data collected between 2007 and 2011 in an arthroplasty registry. RESULTS: We demonstrated construct validity by confirming our hypothesis; satisfaction correlated with similar constructs. Satisfaction correlated moderately with pain relief (TKA ρ = 0.61, THA ρ = 0.47) and function (TKA ρ = 0.65, THA ρ = 0.51) at 2 years; there was no correlation with baseline/preoperative pain/function values, as expected. Overall Cronbach's alpha >0.88 confirmed internal consistency. Test-retest reliability with weighted kappa ranged 0.60-0.75 for TKA and 0.36-0.56 for THA. Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score/Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores quality of life improvement (>30 points) corresponds to a mean satisfaction score of 93.2 (standard deviation, 11.5) after THA and 90.4 (standard deviation, 13.8) after TKA, and increasing relief of pain and functional improvement increased the strength of their association with satisfaction. The satisfaction measure has no copyright and is available free of cost and represents minimal responder burden. CONCLUSION: Patient satisfaction with THA/TKA can be measured with a validated 4-item questionnaire. This satisfaction measure can be included in a total joint arthroplasty core measurement set for total joint arthroplasty trials.

Disparities in Total Hip Arthroplasty Outcomes: Census Tract Data Show Interactions Between Race and Community Deprivation.

INTRODUCTION: Socioeconomic factors such as poverty may mediate racial disparities in health outcomes after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and confound analyses of differences between blacks and whites. METHODS: Using a large institutional THA registry, we built models incorporating individual and census tract data and analyzed interactions between race and percent of population with Medicaid coverage and its association with 2-year patient-reported outcomes. RESULTS: Black patients undergoing THA had worse baseline and 2-year pain and function scores compared with whites. We observed strong positive correlations between census tract Medicaid coverage and percent living below poverty (rho = 0.69; P < 0.001). Disparities in 2-year Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain and function were magnified in communities with high census tract Medicaid coverage. For blacks in these communities, 2-year WOMAC function scores were predicted to be -5.54 points lower (80.42 versus 85.96) compared with blacks in less deprived communities, a difference not observed among whites. CONCLUSION: WOMAC pain and function 2 years after THA are similar among blacks and whites in communities with little deprivation (low percent census tract Medicaid coverage). WOMAC function at 2 years is worse among blacks in areas of higher deprivation but is not seen among whites. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II - Cohort Study.

Physician referral patterns and racial disparities in total hip replacement: A network analysis approach.

BACKGROUND: Efforts to reduce racial disparities in total hip replacement (THR) have focused mainly on patient behaviors. While these efforts are no doubt important, they ignore the potentially important role of provider- and system-level factors, which may be easier to modify. We aimed to determine whether the patterns of interaction among physicians around THR episodes differ in communities with low versus high concentrations of black residents. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed national Medicare claims from 2008 to 2011, identifying all fee-for-service beneficiaries who underwent THR. Based on physician encounter data, we then mapped the physician referral networks at the hospitals where beneficiaries' procedures were performed. Next, we measured two structural properties of these networks that could affect care coordination and information sharing: clustering, and the number of external ties. Finally, we estimated multivariate regression models to determine the relationship between the concentration of black residents in the community [as measured by the hospital service area (HSA)] served by a given network and each of these 2 network properties. RESULTS: Our sample included 336,506 beneficiaries (mean age 76.3 ± SD), 63.1% of whom were women. HSAs with higher concentrations of black residents tended to be more impoverished than those with lower concentrations. While HSAs with higher concentrations of black residents had, on average, more acute care beds and medical specialists, they had fewer surgeons per capita than those with lower concentrations. After adjusting for these differences, we found that HSAs with higher concentrations of black residents were served by physician referral networks that had significantly higher within-network clustering but fewer external ties. CONCLUSIONS: We observed differences in the patterns of interaction among physicians around THR episodes in communities with low versus high concentrations of black residents. Studies investigating the impact of these differences on access to quality providers and on THR outcomes are needed.

A Fresh Perspective on a Familiar Problem: Examining Disparities in Knee Osteoarthritis Using a Markov Model.

BACKGROUND: Disparities in the presentation of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and in the utilization of treatment across sex, racial, and ethnic groups in the United States are well documented. OBJECTIVES: We used a Markov model to calculate lifetime costs of knee OA treatment. We then used the model results to compute costs of disparities in treatment by race, ethnicity, sex, and socioeconomic status. RESEARCH DESIGN: We used the literature to construct a Markov Model of knee OA and publicly available data to create the model parameters and patient populations of interest. An expert panel of physicians, who treated a large number of patients with knee OA, constructed treatment pathways. Direct costs were based on the literature and indirect costs were derived from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. RESULTS: We found that failing to obtain effective treatment increased costs and limited benefits for all groups. Delaying treatment imposed a greater cost across all groups and decreased benefits. Lost income because of lower labor market productivity comprised a substantial proportion of the lifetime costs of knee OA. Population simulations demonstrated that as the diversity of the US population increases, the societal costs of racial and ethnic disparities in treatment utilization for knee OA will increase. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show that disparities in treatment of knee OA are costly. All stakeholders involved in treatment decisions for knee OA patients should consider costs associated with delaying and forgoing treatment, especially for disadvantaged populations. Such decisions may lead to higher costs and worse health outcomes.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Utilization Rate, Hospital Volume, and Perioperative Outcomes After Total Knee Arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of racial disparities in total joint replacement, particularly total knee arthroplasty, in the U.S. have predominantly focused on disparities between blacks and whites and were limited to Medicare patients or veterans, populations that are not representative of the entire U.S. POPULATION: We sought to study racial disparities in the utilization of total knee arthroplasty, the use of high-volume hospitals, and total knee arthroplasty outcomes, including mortality and complications, using all-payer databases. METHODS: We analyzed data from 8 years and 8 racially diverse states in the State Inpatient Databases (SID). Patient race was categorized according to the SID as white, black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, and mixed race. Both crude and adjusted racial and/or ethnic disparities were evaluated. RESULTS: In comparison with whites (4.65 per 1000 population per year), black (3.90), Hispanic (3.71), Asian (3.89), Native American (4.40), and mixed-race (3.69) populations had lower rates of total knee arthroplasty utilization (p < 0.0001). After risk adjustment, the rate of total knee arthroplasty utilization was significantly lower for blacks (odds ratio [OR] = 0.87 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.85 to 0.89]; p < 0.0001), Hispanics (OR = 0.76 [95% CI, 0.68 to 0.83]; p < 0.0001), Asians (OR = 0.83 [95% CI, 0.78 to 0.89]; p < 0.0001), Native Americans (OR = 0.87 [95% CI, 0.81 to 0.93]; p < 0.0001), and mixed race (OR = 0.84 [95% CI, 0.79 to 0.90]; p < 0.0001) compared with the rate for whites. Lower rates of total knee arthroplasty utilization for blacks, Hispanics, and mixed-race groups became worse over the years. Patients from minority groups were less likely to undergo total knee arthroplasty in high-volume hospitals than were whites. Moreover, the rates of mortality were significantly higher for blacks (OR = 1.52 [95% CI, 1.17 to 1.97]; p = 0.0017), Native Americans (OR = 6.52 [95% CI, 4.63 to 9.17]; p < 0.0001), and mixed-race patients (OR = 4.35 [95% CI, 3.24 to 5.84]; p < 0.0001). Blacks (OR = 1.08 [95% CI, 1.01 to 1.15]; p = 0.01) and mixed-race patients (OR = 1.17 [95% CI, 1.001 to 1.36]; p = 0.04) had higher rates of complications than whites. CONCLUSIONS: Minorities had lower rates of total knee arthroplasty utilization but higher rates of adverse health outcomes associated with the procedure, even after adjusting for patient-related and health-care system-related characteristics. Utilization rates were based on overall population as the proportion of the population with osteoarthritis requiring arthroplasty is unknown. Future studies that consider specific patient-level information with psychosocial and behavioral factors are needed. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Disparities in TKA Outcomes: Census Tract Data Show Interactions Between Race and Poverty.

BACKGROUND: Race is an important predictor of TKA outcomes in the United States; however, analyses of race can be confounded by socioeconomic factors, which can result in difficulty determining the root cause of disparate outcomes after TKA. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We asked: (1) Are race and socioeconomic factors at the individual level associated with patient-reported pain and function 2 years after TKA? (2) What is the interaction between race and community poverty and patient-reported pain and function 2 years after TKA? METHODS: We identified all patients undergoing TKA enrolled in a hospital-based registry between 2007 and 2011 who provided 2-year outcomes and lived in New York, Connecticut, or New Jersey. Of patients approached to participate in the registry, more than 82% consented and provided baseline data, and of these patients, 72% provided 2-year data. Proportions of patients with complete followup at 2 years were lower among blacks (57%) than whites (74%), among patients with Medicaid insurance (51%) compared with patients without Medicaid insurance (72%), and among patients without a college education (67%) compared with those with a college education (71%). Our final study cohort consisted of 4035 patients, 3841 (95%) of whom were white and 194 (5%) of whom were black. Using geocoding, we linked individual-level registry data to US census tracts data through patient addresses. We constructed a multivariate linear mixed-effect model in multilevel frameworks to assess the interaction between race and census tract poverty on WOMAC pain and function scores 2 years after TKA. We defined a clinically important effect as 10 points on the WOMAC (which is scaled from 1 to 100 points, with higher scores being better). RESULTS: Race, education, patient expectations, and baseline WOMAC scores are all associated with 2-year WOMAC pain and function; however, the effect sizes were small, and below the threshold of clinical importance. Whites and blacks from census tracts with less than 10% poverty have similar levels of pain and function 2 years after TKA (WOMAC pain, 1.01 ± 1.59 points lower for blacks than for whites, p = 0.53; WOMAC function, 2.32 ± 1.56 lower for blacks than for whites, p = 0.14). WOMAC pain and function scores 2 years after TKA worsen with increasing levels of community poverty, but do so to a greater extent among blacks than whites. Disparities in pain and function between blacks and whites are evident only in the poorest communities; decreasing in a linear fashion as poverty increases. In census tracts with greater than 40% poverty, blacks score 6 ± 3 points lower (worse) than whites for WOMAC pain (p = 0.03) and 7 ± 3 points lower than whites for WOMAC function (p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Blacks and whites living in communities with little poverty have similar patient-reported TKA outcomes, whereas in communities with high levels of poverty, there are important racial disparities. Efforts to improve TKA outcomes among blacks will need to address individual- and community-level socioeconomic factors. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study.

Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities in Hip Fracture Care.

BACKGROUND: Despite declines in both the incidence of and mortality following hip fracture, there are racial and socioeconomic disparities in treatment access and outcomes. We evaluated the presence and implications of disparities in delivery of care, hypothesizing that race and community socioeconomic characteristics would influence quality of care for patients with a hip fracture. METHODS: We collected data from the New York State Department of Health Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS), which prospectively captures information on all discharges from nonfederal acute-care hospitals in New York State. Records for 197,290 New York State residents who underwent surgery for a hip fracture between 1998 and 2010 in New York State were identified from SPARCS using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes. Multivariable regression models were used to evaluate the association of patient characteristics, social deprivation, and hospital/surgeon volume with time from admission to surgery, in-hospital complications, readmission, and 1-year mortality. RESULTS: After adjusting for patient and surgery characteristics, hospital/surgeon volume, social deprivation, and other variables, black patients were at greater risk for delayed surgery (odds ratio [OR] = 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.42, 1.57), a reoperation (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.21; CI = 1.11, 1.32), readmission (OR = 1.17; CI = 1.11, 1.22), and 1-year mortality (HR = 1.13; CI = 1.07, 1.21) than white patients. Subgroup analyses showed a greater risk for delayed surgery for black and Asian patients compared with white patients, regardless of social deprivation. Additionally, there was a greater risk for readmission for black patients compared with white patients, regardless of social deprivation. Compared with Medicare patients, Medicaid patients were at increased risk for delayed surgery (OR = 1.17; CI = 1.10, 1.24) whereas privately insured patients were at decreased risk for delayed surgery (OR = 0.77; CI = 0.74, 0.81), readmission (OR = 0.77; CI = 0.74, 0.81), complications (OR = 0.80; CI = 0.77, 0.84), and 1-year mortality (HR = 0.80; CI = 0.75, 0.85). CONCLUSIONS: There are race and insurance-based disparities in delivery of care for patients with hip fracture, some of which persist after adjusting for social deprivation. In addition to investigation into reasons contributing to disparities, targeted interventions should be developed to mitigate effects of disparities on patients at greatest risk. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Disparities in Outcomes for African Americans and Whites Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Systematic Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE: African Americans in the United States undergo total knee arthroplasty (TKA) less often than whites, in part because of lower expectations among African Americans for successful surgery. Whether this lower expectation is justified is unknown. Our objective is to compare health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and satisfaction after TKA between African Americans and whites. METHODS: A systematic review of English language articles using Medline, the Cochrane register, Embase (April 21, 2015), and a hand search of unlisted disparities journals was performed. Search terms included total knee replacement, quality of life, outcomes, and satisfaction. High-quality cohort studies that examined HRQOL in African Americans and white adults 6 months or more after TKA were included. RESULTS: Of the 4781 studies screened by title, and 346 by abstract, 7 studies included race in their analysis. Results included 5570 TKA patients, 4077 whites (89%), and 482 (11%) blacks. Because studies used different outcome measures and were inconsistent in their adjustment for confounders, we could not perform a quantitative synthesis of results. In 5 studies, US blacks had worse pain, in 5 worse function, and in 1 less satisfaction 6 months to 2 years after TKA. CONCLUSION: US blacks may derive less benefit from TKA than whites as measured by HRQOL, pain, function, and satisfaction. Many studies assessing predictors of patient-related TKA outcomes fail to analyze race as a variable, which limited our study. More studies assessing the effect of race and socioeconomic factors on TKA outcome are needed.

The reduction of implant-related errors and waste in total knee arthroplasty using a novel, computer based, e.Label and compatibility system.

Implant related errors and wasted arthroplasty implants represent a significant problem in the healthcare system. Studies estimate that an implant is wasted in two to five percent of total joint replacement procedures. After the introduction of a standardized time-out procedure, our institution still had a wasted implant in one out of every 20 arthroplasty surgeries. We then implemented a computer based, e.Label and compatibility system which standardized the implant labeling, confirmed correct size and side, and ensured compatibility within implant systems. Use of this system decreased wasted implants from 5.7% to 0.8% of total knee arthroplasty cases. This translated to an annualized cost savings of over $75,000 over our study period which could extrapolate to over $82 million per year in savings to the US healthcare system.