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Resource utilization and costs before and after total joint arthroplasty
Kevin J Bozic1, Brett Stacey, Ariel Berger
1University of California, San Francisco, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, San Francisco, CA 94143-0728, USA. Kevin.bozic@ucsf.edu
BMC Health Services Research
|March 27, 2012
Summary
Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) patients experienced lower outpatient visits but higher overall healthcare costs post-surgery, mainly due to readmissions. Further research is needed to assess long-term cost trends.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Health Economics
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of joint pain and disability.
- Total joint arthroplasty (TJA) is a common surgical intervention for end-stage OA.
- Understanding healthcare costs associated with TJA is crucial for healthcare management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare pre- and post-surgical healthcare costs in U.S. patients undergoing TJA for OA.
- To analyze changes in healthcare service utilization after TJA.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of a large U.S. healthcare claims database.
- Inclusion of commercially insured patients aged 40+ with hip or knee OA undergoing primary TJA.
- Categorization of costs and utilization into pre-surgery, peri-operative, and follow-up periods.
Main Results:
- Mean total costs increased by 18% in the follow-up period compared to pre-surgery ($11,043 vs. $9,632).
- Outpatient visits slightly decreased, but hospitalizations increased (7.5% to 9.8%).
- Increased inpatient costs, driven by readmissions, significantly contributed to higher overall costs.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare costs following TJA (excluding the peri-operative period) rose in the first year, primarily due to inpatient readmissions.
- Outpatient service utilization saw a slight decline.
- Long-term cost-effectiveness of TJA requires further investigation in subsequent years.
