Imaging versus no imaging for low back pain: a systematic review, measuring costs, healthcare utilization and absence from work.

PURPOSE: Imaging (X-ray, CT and MRI) provides no health benefits for low back pain (LBP) patients and is not recommended in clinical practice guidelines. Whether imaging leads to increased costs, healthcare utilization or absence from work is unclear. Therefore, this study systematically reviews if imaging in patients with LBP leads to an increase in these outcomes. METHODS: We searched PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Web of Science until October 2017 for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies (OSs), comparing imaging versus no imaging on targeted outcomes. Data extraction and risk of bias assessment was performed independently by two reviewers. The quality of the body of evidence was determined using GRADE methodology. RESULTS: Moderate-quality evidence (1 RCT; n = 421) supports that direct costs increase for patients undergoing X-ray. Low-quality evidence (3 OSs; n = 9535) supports that early MRI may lead to an increase in costs. There is moderate-quality evidence (1 RCT, 2 OSs; n = 3897) that performing MRI or imaging (MRI or CT) is associated with an increase in healthcare utilization (e.g., future injections, surgery, medication, etc.). There is low-quality evidence (5 OSs; n = 15,493) that performing X-ray or MRI is associated with an increase in healthcare utilization. Moderate-quality evidence (2 RCTs; n = 667) showed no significant differences between X-ray or MRI groups compared with non-imaging groups on absence from work. However, low-quality evidence (2 Oss; n = 7765) did show significantly greater mean absence from work in the MRI groups in comparison with the non-imaging groups. CONCLUSIONS: Imaging in LBP may be associated with higher medical costs, increased healthcare utilization and more absence from work. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

Dutch surgeons' views on the volume-outcome mechanism in surgery: A qualitative interview study.

OBJECTIVE: To contribute to a better understanding of volume-outcome relationships in surgery by exploring Dutch surgeons' views on the underlying mechanism. DESIGN: A qualitative study based on face-to-face semi structured interviews and an inductive content analysis approach. SETTING: Interviews were conducted in eight hospitals in the Netherlands (2 university, 4 teaching and 2 general). PARTICIPANTS: Twenty surgeons (gastrointestinal, vascular and trauma). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Dutch surgeons' views on volume-outcome relationships in surgery and the underlying mechanism. RESULTS: The majority of surgeons believed volume is related to outcomes after surgery. Interviewees highlighted the importance of both focus and skills when describing the underlying mechanism. Focus was visible on three levels: hospital, surgeon and team. Focus on a hospital level referred to investing in specific infrastructure and dedicated personnel. Surgeons described both the benefits and downsides of surgeons' increased focus to a certain surgical subspeciality. And their experiences on the importance of working with fixed, procedure-specific teams. The positive influence of caseload on technical and nontechnical skills was acknowledged, as well as the benefits of combining skills by operating together. Although a basic skill set should be maintained, this does not necessarily require high volume. CONCLUSIONS: Focus and skills are important explanatory factors in volume-outcome relationships according to Dutch surgeons. This suggests that both high- and low-volume providers should enable specialized, fixed teams for complex surgeries and focus on maintenance of both their technical and nontechnical skills. By uncovering the underlying mechanism, imperfect quality indicators such as volume can be supplemented or replaced.

A randomized controlled trial to compare a restrictive strategy to usual care for the effectiveness of cholecystectomy in patients with symptomatic gallstones (SECURE trial protocol).

BACKGROUND: Five to 22 % of the adult Western population has gallstones. Among them, 13 to 22 % become symptomatic during their lifetime. Cholecystectomy is the preferred treatment for symptomatic cholecystolithiasis. Remarkably, cholecystectomy provides symptom relief in only 60-70 % of patients. The objective of this trial is to compare the effectiveness of usual (operative) care with a restrictive strategy using a standardized work-up with stepwise selection for cholecystectomy in patients with gallstones and abdominal complaints. DESIGN AND METHODS: The SECURE-trial is designed as a multicenter, randomized, parallel-arm, non-inferiority trial in patients with abdominal symptoms and ultrasound proven gallstones or sludge. If patients meet the inclusion criteria they will be randomized to either usual care or the restrictive strategy. Patients in the usual care group will be treated according to the physician's knowledge and preference. Patients in the restrictive care group will be treated with interval evaluation and stepwise selection for laparoscopic cholecystectomy. In this stepwise selection, patients strictly meeting the preselected criteria for symptomatic cholecystolithiasis will be offered a cholecystectomy. Patients not meeting these criteria will be assessed for other diagnoses and re-evaluated at 3-monthly intervals. Follow-up consists of web-based questionnaires at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The main end point of this trial is defined as the proportion of patients being pain-free at 12 months follow-up. Pain will be assessed with the Izbicki Pain Score and Gallstone Symptom Score. Secondary endpoints will be the proportion of patients with complications due to gallstones or cholecystectomy, the association between the patients' symptoms and treatment and work performance, and ultimately, cost-effectiveness. DISCUSSION: The SECURE trial is the first randomized controlled trial examining the effectiveness of usual care versus restrictive care in patients with symptomatic gallstones. The outcome of this trial will inform clinicians whether a more restrictive strategy can minimize persistent pain in post-operative patients at least as good as usual care does, but at a lower cholecystectomy rate. (The Netherlands National Trial Register NTR4022, 17th December 2012) TRIAL REGISTRATION: The Netherlands National Trial Register NTR4022 http://www.zonmw.nl/nl/projecten/project-detail/scrutinizing-inefficient-use-of-cholecystectomy-a-randomized-trial-concerning-variation-in-practi/samenvatting/.

Prospective multicentre cohort study of patient-reported outcomes after cholecystectomy for uncomplicated symptomatic cholecystolithiasis.

BACKGROUND: Up to 33 per cent of patients with uncomplicated symptomatic cholecystolithiasis report persistent pain after cholecystectomy. The aim of this study was to determine characteristics associated with patient-reported absence of abdominal pain after cholecystectomy, improved abdominal symptoms, and patient-reported positive cholecystectomy results in a prospective cohort multicentre study. METHODS: Patients aged 18 years or more with symptomatic cholecystolithiasis who had a cholecystectomy between June 2012 and June 2014 in one of three hospitals were included. Before surgery all patients were sent the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GIQLI) questionnaire and the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ). At 12 weeks after surgery, patients were invited to complete the GIQLI and Patients' Experience of Surgery Questionnaire (PESQ). Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine associations. RESULTS: Questionnaires were sent to 552 patients and returned by 342 before and after surgery. Postoperative absence of abdominal pain was reported by 60·5 per cent of patients. A high preoperative GIQLI score, episodic pain, and duration of pain of 1 year or less were associated with postoperative absence of pain. These factors showed no association with improved abdominal symptoms (reported by 91·5 per cent of patients) or a positive surgery result (reported by 92·4 per cent). CONCLUSION: Preoperative characteristics determine the odds for relief of abdominal pain after cholecystectomy. However, these factors were not associated with patient-reported improvement of abdominal symptoms or patient-reported positive cholecystectomy results, highlighting the variation of internal standards and expectations of patients before cholecystectomy.

Development and measurement of perioperative patient safety indicators.

BACKGROUND: To improve perioperative patient safety, hospitals are implementing evidence-based perioperative safety guidelines. To facilitate this process, it is important to provide insight into current practice. For this purpose, we aimed to develop patient safety indicators. METHODS: The RAND-modified Delphi method was used to develop a set of patient safety indicators based on the perioperative guidelines. First, a core group of experts systematically selected recommendations from the guidelines. Then, an expert panel of representative professionals appraised the recommendations against safety criteria, prioritized them and reached consensus about 11 patient safety indicators. Measurability, applicability, improvement potential (based on current practice) and discriminatory capacity of each indicator were pilot tested in eight hospitals. RESULTS: Seven structure, two process and two outcome indicators were developed covering the entire perioperative care process. Most indicators showed good applicability (N=11), improvement potential (N=6) and discriminatory capacity (N=7). Four indicators were difficult to measure. Improvement opportunities concerned the use of perioperative stops, timely administration of antibiotics, availability of protocols on perioperative anticoagulants and on prospective risk analysis of medical equipment, presence of a surveillance system for postoperative wound infections, and a morbidity and mortality registration. CONCLUSIONS: Using a systematic, stepwise method 11 patient safety indicators were developed for internal assessment, monitoring and improvement of the perioperative care process. There was large variation in guideline adherence between and within hospitals, identifying opportunities for improvement in the quality of perioperative care.

A lifestyle intervention to reduce Type 2 diabetes risk in Dutch primary care: 2.5-year results of a randomized controlled trial.

AIMS: To determine the effectiveness of a 2.5-year lifestyle intervention for Type 2 diabetes prevention in Dutch general practice compared with usual care. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial of 925 individuals at high risk for Type 2 diabetes (FINDRISC-score ≥ 13) in 14 general practices in the Netherlands. Intervention consisted of lifestyle counselling from the nurse practitioner and the general practitioner. Usual care consisted of oral and written information at the start of the study. Study groups were compared over 2.5 years regarding changes in clinical and lifestyle measures. RESULTS: Both groups showed modest changes in body weight, glucose concentrations, physical activity and dietary intake [weight: intervention group, -0.8 (5.1) kg, usual care group, -0.4 (4.7) kg, (P=0.69); fasting plasma glucose: intervention group, -0.17 (0.4) mmol/l, usual care group, -0.10 (0.5) mmol/l, (P=0.10)]. Differences between groups were significant only for total physical activity and fibre intake. In the intervention group, self-efficacy was significantly higher in individuals successful at losing weight compared with unsuccessful individuals. No significant differences in participant weight loss were found between general practitioners and nurse practitioners with different levels of motivation or self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes risk factors could significantly be reduced by lifestyle counselling in Dutch primary care. However, intervention effects above the effects attributable to usual care were modest. Higher participant self-efficacy seemed to facilitate weight loss. Lack of motivation or self-efficacy of professionals did not negatively influence participant guidance.

The influence of population characteristics on variation in general practice based morbidity estimations.

BACKGROUND: General practice based registration networks (GPRNs) provide information on morbidity rates in the population. Morbidity rate estimates from different GPRNs, however, reveal considerable, unexplained differences. We studied the range and variation in morbidity estimates, as well as the extent to which the differences in morbidity rates between general practices and networks change if socio-demographic characteristics of the listed patient populations are taken into account. METHODS: The variation in incidence and prevalence rates of thirteen diseases among six Dutch GPRNs and the influence of age, gender, socio economic status (SES), urbanization level, and ethnicity are analyzed using multilevel logistic regression analysis. Results are expressed in median odds ratios (MOR). RESULTS: We observed large differences in morbidity rate estimates both on the level of general practices as on the level of networks. The differences in SES, urbanization level and ethnicity distribution among the networks' practice populations are substantial. The variation in morbidity rate estimates among networks did not decrease after adjusting for these socio-demographic characteristics. CONCLUSION: Socio-demographic characteristics of populations do not explain the differences in morbidity estimations among GPRNs.

An active strategy to identify individuals eligible for type 2 diabetes prevention by lifestyle intervention in Dutch primary care: the APHRODITE study.

BACKGROUND: Several trials have shown the potential of lifestyle intervention programmes for prevention of type 2 diabetes. The effectiveness of implementation of these programmes into daily practice is now being studied in several countries. The 'Active Prevention in High Risk individuals of Diabetes Type 2 in Eindhoven' (APHRODITE) study investigates whether type 2 diabetes prevention by lifestyle intervention is effective in Dutch primary care. In this article we describe the process of recruiting the study participants. OBJECTIVE: To assess the reach of an active strategy to recruit participants for a programme on type 2 diabetes prevention by lifestyle intervention in Dutch primary care. METHODS: A diabetes risk questionnaire was sent to general practice patients aged 40-70 years. Individuals with a risk score above threshold were invited for an admission interview with the GP and an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). All individuals with non-diabetic glucose levels were asked to participate in the intervention study. RESULTS: In total, 8752 (54.6%) of the individuals returned the questionnaire in time. Of all high-risk individuals (n = 1533), 73.1% contacted their practice to schedule a consultation with the GP. Response rates varied significantly among practices. CONCLUSIONS: Using invitational letters, a substantial amount of individuals could be motivated to participate in a programme on type 2 diabetes prevention by lifestyle intervention in Dutch primary care. Further research is needed on what kind of strategy would be most effective and efficient to screen for individuals at high risk for type 2 diabetes in primary care.

Knowledge, attitudes and use of the guidelines for the treatment of moderate to severe plaque psoriasis among Dutch dermatologists.

BACKGROUND: In 2003, the Dutch psoriasis guidelines were among the first evidence-based medicine guidelines in dermatology. Although pivotal, the implementation of dermatological guidelines has not been assessed. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate various aspects that affect implementation of clinical guidelines such as knowledge, attitudes and practices among dermatologists. METHODS: A cross-sectional anonymous postal survey was conducted among all Dutch dermatologists. In addition to questions about knowledge and practices, 24 items assessed guidelines attitudes. Factor analysis was applied to merge these items into attitudinal scales and multiple linear regression was used to identify predictors for these scales. RESULTS: Of the 353 dermatologists, 161 (46%) completed the questionnaire. Almost all respondents were aware of the guidelines and 60% reported to have a decent knowledge of their content. Factor analysis retained 22 items divided into three scales: usefulness and content, barriers, and reliability. Apart from some disagreement on the user-friendliness and communication facilitating properties, the dermatologists' attitudes were generally positive. A larger volume of patients with psoriasis was associated with more frequent use of the guidelines [adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 2.42; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-5.72]. Good familiarity predicted a more positive attitude towards the guidelines' usefulness and content (P < 0.001), perceived barriers (P < 0.001), and more frequent use in practice (adjusted OR = 8.38; 95% CI 3.08-22.81). CONCLUSIONS: Dutch dermatologists seem to know and appreciate their psoriasis guidelines and use them more often when they have a larger psoriasis population. Enhancing the familiarity of the guidelines among users may result in a more positive attitude towards them and a higher frequency of use.

[The effect of specialised medical procedures on the hosptial standardised mortality ratio in cardiac centers]. / Hartcentra en het effect van bijzondere medische verrichtingen op het gestandaardiseerde ziekenhuissterftecijfer.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of specialised medical procedures (SMPs) on the hospital standardized mortality ratio (HSMR) in Dutch cardiac centres. DESIGN: Retrospective, calculation of the HSMR. METHOD: Data from 2004 from the National Medical Registration (LMR) were used to calculate the HSMR in 12 cardiac centres and all other hospitals in the Netherlands. The HSMRwas then recalculated for the 12 cardiac centres excluding either percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) or open heart surgery or both to determine the impact of these SMPs on the HSMR. RESULTS: Exclusion of SMPs from the HSMR calculation changed the HSMR for individual cardiac centres, ranging from a 4.7% decrease to a 5.3% increase. Change in HSMR was related to the relative frequency of the two procedures at each cardiac centre. Mortality risk was lower than average for PTCA and higher than average for open heart surgery. PTCA accounted for 5.6%-20.2% of total admissions in the 12 cardiac centres. A relatively high proportion of PTCA procedures was associated with a lower HSMR, to a maximum decrease of nearly 7% in one cardiac centre. Open heart surgery accounted for 2.1%-12.6% of total admissions per cardiac centre. A relatively high proportion ofopen heart procedures was associated with an increased HSMR, to a maximum increase of nearly 8% in one cardiac centre. CONCLUSION: Specialised medical procedures for heart conditions influence the HSMR of cardiac centres. The increase or decrease in HSMR is related to the relative frequency of PTCA and open heart surgery. These results can be used to help interpret the differences in HSMR among cardiac centres and other hospitals.

Analysis of variation in the surgical treatment of patients with distal radial fractures in the Netherlands.

The purpose of this study was to examine the variation in surgical treatment rates of patients with distal radius fractures across Dutch hospitals. We obtained all reimbursement data for the treatment of distal radius fractures for 2012 and 2013 categorized by hospital. The surgical rate across hospitals was corrected for possible explanatory variables using linear regression analyses. We analysed a total of 95,754 reimbursements. The operative rate ranged from 0% to 23%, with a mean of 9.6%. Hospital type, the percentage of females, the percentage of patients over 65, the mean age, average socioeconomic status and the total number of patients treated explained only 2.6% of the observed differences in the operative rate among hospitals in 2012 and 11.6% in 2013. Our results suggest that subjective factors, such as surgeon's opinions and preferences, significantly influence therapeutic decisions in patients with distal radius fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

[Inter-practice variation in polypharmacy prevalence amongst older patients in primary care]. / Bij iedere huisarts evenveel pillen?

PURPOSE: Complex medication management in older people with multiple chronic conditions can introduce practice variation in polypharmacy prevalence. This study aimed to determine the inter-practice variation in polypharmacy prevalence and examine how this variation was influenced by patient and practice characteristics. METHODS: This cohort study included 45,731 patients aged 55 years and older with at least one prescribed medication from 126 general practices that participated in NIVEL Primary Care Database in the Netherlands. Medication dispensing data of the year 2012 were used to determine polypharmacy. Polypharmacy was defined as the chronic and simultaneous use of at least five different medications. Multilevel logistic regression models were constructed to quantify the polypharmacy prevalence variation between practices. Patient characteristics (age, gender, socioeconomic status, number, and type of chronic conditions) and practice characteristics (practice location and practice population) were added to the models. RESULTS: After accounting for differences in patient and practice characteristics, polypharmacy rates varied with a factor of 2.4 between practices (from 12.4% to 30.1%) and an overall mean of 19.8%. Age and type of conditions were highly positively associated with polypharmacy, and to a lesser extent a lower socioeconomic status. CONCLUSIONS: Considerable variation in polypharmacy rates existed between general practices, even after accounting for patient and practice characteristics, which suggests that there is not much agreement concerning medication management in this complex patient group. Initiatives that could reduce inappropriate heterogeneity in medication management can add value to the care delivered to these patients.

[Characteristics and healthcare utilization of patients with highest costs of care]. / Kenmerken en zorggebruik van patiënten met de hoogste zorgkosten.

OBJECTIVE: To determine characteristics and healthcare utilization of high-cost patients in the Netherlands. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study, using claim data for 2013 from one Dutch health insurer. Analyses were limited to the curative health system (care that falls under the Health Insurance Act), including voluntary supplementary insurance. METHOD: We established total healthcare costs per beneficiary by summing all claims with a starting date in 2013. We categorized hospital-related diagnosis related groups (DRGs) and mental health care DRGs according to the ICD-10 International Classification of Diseases main chapters and sub-chapters. Per patient we determined which ICD-10-(sub-)chapter carried the highest costs. In addition, we developed several indicators for healthcare utilization and analysed healthcare utilization using descriptive statistics. Finally, we broke down high-cost patients by age group and compared characteristics and health care utilization between age groups. RESULTS: High-cost patients, those in the top 1% in 2013, incurred an average total cost of over € 56,000 per patient. They were treated by multiple providers for numerous health problems. Approximately one third of high-cost patients had one or more expensive treatments, including transplant surgery, dialysis, expensive drugs, intensive care unit use, or DRGs exceeding € 30,000. The majority of high-cost patients were treated for cardiovascular disorders, neoplasms or mental and behavioural disorders. Though the high-cost patients were relatively old, more than half were younger than 65 years and average costs per patient decreased sharply with age. CONCLUSIONS: There is a need for an integral approach in the treatment of high-cost patients. Tailored policy and interventions are needed to improve care quality and to avoid unnecessarily high costs of care.

[Analysis of variation in the surgical treatment of distal radius fracture]. / Aanzienlijke variatie in chirurgische behandeling van distale radiusfractuur.

OBJECTIVE: The optimum treatment of patients with distal radius fracture has not been entirely clarified resulting in possible major variations between hospitals in the number of patients undergoing surgical treatment. The objective of this study was to examine the variation in surgical treatment rates of patients with distal radius fractures across Dutch hospitals. DESIGN: Retrospective study. METHOD: Aggregated data for all patients with a distal radius fracture were obtained for 2012 and 2013 on the basis of reimbursement codes. The surgical rate across hospitals was corrected for several variables using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: We analysed a total of 95,754 reimbursements. The operative rate ranged from 0% to 23%, with a mean of 9.6%. Hospital type, the percentage of females, the percentage of patients over 65, the mean age, average socioeconomic status, and the total number of patients treated explained only 2.6% of the observed differences in operative rate between hospitals in 2012 and 11.6% in 2013. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that non-scientific factors, such as surgeon's age, background, and local culture, influence therapeutic decisions in patients with distal radius fractures.

Correlates of health and healthcare performance: applying the Canadian Health Indicators Framework at the provincial-territorial level.

BACKGROUND: Since, at the health system level, there is little research into the possible interrelationships among the various indicators of health, healthcare performance, non-medical determinants of health, and community and health system characteristics, we conducted this study to explore such interrelationships using the Canadian Health Indicators Framework. METHODS: We conducted univariate correlational analyses with health and healthcare performance as outcomes using recent Canadian data and the ten Canadian provinces and three territories as units of the analyses. For health, 6 indicators were included. Sixteen healthcare performance indicators, 12 non-medical determinants of health and 16 indicators of community and health system characteristics were also included as independent variables for the analysis. A set of decision rules was applied to guide the choice of what was considered actual and preferred performance associations. RESULTS: Health (28%) correlates more frequently with non-medical determinants than healthcare does (12%), in the preferred direction. Better health is only correlated with better healthcare performance in 13% of the cases in the preferred direction. Better health (24%) is also more frequently correlated with community and health system characteristics than healthcare is (13%), in the preferred direction. CONCLUSION: Canadian health performance is a function of multiple factors, the most frequent of which may be the non-medical determinants of health and the community characteristics as against healthcare performance. The contribution of healthcare to health may be limited only to relatively small groups which stand to benefit from effective healthcare, but its overall effect may be diluted in summary measures of population health. Interpreting multidimensional, multi-indicator performance data in their proper context may be more complex than hitherto believed.

Socioeconomic status of very small areas and stroke incidence in the Netherlands.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether characteristics of very small living areas can be used to predict disease incidence and to use these characteristics to assess socioeconomic differences in stroke incidence in the Netherlands. DESIGN: Characteristics of postcode areas of stroke patients are compared with characteristics of postcode areas of all individual people in the study region, using Poisson regression analysis. SETTING: Six provinces of the Netherlands, covering about half of the country. PATIENTS: 760 patients who in 1991 or 1992 were consecutively admitted because of stroke to 23 Dutch hospitals. MAIN RESULTS: Stroke incidence is significantly higher among people living in postcode areas with below average socioeconomic status (relative risk=1.27; 95% confidence intervals 1.08 to 1.51) and among people living in postcode areas with predominantly older inhabitants (RR=3.17; 95% CI=2.29 to 4.39). It is also significantly increased in more urbanised areas compared with the countryside, the highest incidence being found in the large cities (RR=1.78; 95% CI=1.31 to 2.44). CONCLUSIONS: A clear socioeconomic gradient in stroke incidence in the Netherlands is observed, with people living in detailed postcode areas with below average socioeconomic status experiencing a significantly higher risk of stroke. The analysis also confirms that characteristics of detailed postcode areas can effectively be used to differentiate between areas with and areas without stroke patients.

Community income and surgical rates in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: The study describes variations in use of surgical procedures by community income in the Netherlands. From the literature it is known that surgical rates have a socioeconomic gradient. Both positive and negative associations of socioeconomic factors of patients (for example, income, education) with surgical rates have been reported. The question raised here is: how do (possible) socioeconomic variations in surgery in the Netherlands compare with variations observed elsewhere? DATA AND METHODS: The data comprised Dutch hospital discharges and population estimates for 1999. Socioeconomic status was indicated by a patient's income and based on the average family income of the postcode area of residence. Poisson regression was used to compute relative incidence (odds ratios) for 10 common surgical procedures. The model included age, gender, degree of urbanisation, and province of residence. RESULTS: The association between surgical rates and community level income is rather weak. For half of the surgical rates the authors observed higher utilisation rates in communities with low income levels, but the differences are small. The range of odds ratios in the lowest income quintile group (compared with the group with the highest income) observed is: 0.87 to 1.18. Men from a low income community received more appendicectomies (1.18), cholecystectomies (1.12), knee replacements (1.06), and prostatectomies (1.14) and less tonsillectomies (0.90). Women from a low income community received more appendicectomies (1.12), caesarean sections (1.18), hip and knee replacements (1.05,1.17), and hysterectomies (1.14). Whereas they received less coronary artery bypass grafts (0.92), cholecystectomies (0.87), and tonsillectomies (0.92). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with findings reported in the international literature, this study indicates that variations in use of surgical procedures by community income in the Netherlands are comparatively small. Because of lack of data the authors could not study the influence of variations in need for surgical care by community income, but as the incidence of conditions requiring surgical interventions generally is higher in lower income groups, it is suspected some degree of underutilisation exists in these groups.

Socioeconomic variations in the course of stroke: unequal health outcomes, equal care?

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to quantify the socioeconomic gap in long term health outcomes after stroke and related health care utilisation, in order to evaluate whether those in need of care do actually receive appropriate levels of care. DESIGN: Stroke patients from the lower socioeconomic group were compared with stroke patients from the higher socioeconomic group with respect to sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, health outcomes, and related health care utilisation. SETTING: Patients were recruited from admissions to 23 randomly selected hospitals in the Netherlands. PATIENTS: 465 patients were included who had had a stroke six months earlier and were followed up three years and five years after stroke. MAIN RESULTS: The observed odds ratios suggest that patients from the lower socioeconomic group experienced more disabilities up to three years after stroke and more handicaps up to five years after stroke. After adjusting for health care needs there were no significant associations between socioeconomic status and health care utilisation. The observed figures, however, suggest that a lower socioeconomic status tended to increase admission to nursing homes and to decrease receiving care in non-institutional settings. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, inequalities in long term health outcomes were observed but solid indications for large inequalities in health care utilisation were not found. More investments in coordinated stroke services are needed to alleviate the unfavourable health situation of disadvantaged groups and to ensure that health care services respond appropriately to the health care needs of different socioeconomic groups.

Variation in duration of hospital stay between hospitals and between doctors within hospitals.

Whether one examines the average length of hospital stay at the level of geographic areas, at the level of hospitals, or at the level of doctors, length-of-stay figures are known to vary widely. Even for hospital admissions for comparable surgical procedures among comparable groups of patients, significant length-of-stay variations have been reported. As is the case for variations in the occurrence of common surgical procedures, the overall conclusion is that large variations in duration of hospital stay associated with these common surgical procedures are the rule rather than the exception. The objective of the study is to examine whether variations in hospital medical practice, indicated by the duration of hospital stay in this study, can be reduced to differences in practice style between individual doctors within the same institutional setting or to differences in practice style between groups of doctors within the same institutional setting. The latter is assumed to be the combined effect of restrictions on the (hospital) supply side and the predilection of doctors to conform to the practice of immediate colleagues. It was found out that the variation in length of hospital stay, adjusted for patient case-mix, within hospitals is much smaller than the length-of-stay variation between different hospitals. The within hospital variation between (partnership of) doctors is in most of the cases statistically insignificant. Doctors working in more than one hospital on average choose a length of stay close to the average length of stay prevailing in the different hospitals.

Regional disparities in health care supply in eleven European countries: does politics matter?

There are large differences both among and within European countries in the supply of health care facilities and personnel. In 1979 Smith posed the hypothesis that spatial disparities in health care supply will be smaller in countries with socialist (or social-democratic) governments. The aim of this paper is to examine this hypothesis by analysing whether or not regional disparities in health care supply within countries are smaller in countries that have been governed predominantly by socialist governments. We have collected regional data on the number of hospital beds and the number of physicians for 211 regions in 11 European countries for 1970 and 1990. Countries were classified according to the political composition of governments in the post-war era. It is concluded that: (1) the amount of regional variation is greater for hospital beds than for doctors; (2) for both aspects of supply, regional disparities decreased over time; (3) the decrease in regional disparities between 1970 and 1990, both for beds and for doctors in hospitals, was stronger for countries that had more years of socialist government in that period and (4) there is no relation between the number of years of socialist government between 1945 and 1990 and regional variation in health care supply in 1970, nor for government participation between 1970 and 1990 and variation in supply in 1990.