Increased use of an expensive, elective procedure: total hip replacements in the 1980s

Between 1980 and 1987, the number of hospital discharges with total hip replacement (THR) increased by more than 90%, while total hospital discharges fell by more than 10%. Total hip replacement is one of the most costly hospital inpatient procedures, both per case and in total Medicare expenses. Explanations for the growth in use of THR may clarify some of the major forces driving national health care costs. This study assumes that treatment choices are made by (or for) each patient to maximize expected net benefits. Within this framework, the use of THR might have increased because of improved safety for the procedure, longer life expectancy and better control of many serious illnesses that led to increased demand for quality-enhancing procedures, and increased out-of-pocket cost for alternative treatments that are not covered well by insurance. These possible explanations imply changes in the characteristics of THR recipients over time. An upward shift was found in the age distribution of patients, more than simply because of an aging of the population. Sharply increased proportions of patients were also found with serious comorbidities such as cancer and dementia. The safety of the procedure seems to have improved, in terms of the death rate in the hospital. The results suggest that demands for expensive, elective procedures have been increasing for patients previously regarded as too old or impaired to benefit sufficiently. This process leads to continuing increases in real health care expenses even without the invention of new technologies.