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Table 2 Treatment utilization for shoulder osteoarthritis patients by physician specialty (N = 572)

From: A comparison of one-year treatment utilization for shoulder osteoarthritis patients initiating care with non-orthopaedic physicians and orthopaedic specialists

  

Total Study Sample

(N = 572)

Non-Orthopaedic Physician

(n = 98)

Orthopaedic Specialist

(n = 474)

p value

Days from index shoulder visit to OA diagnosis

Mean

19.6

21.6

19.2

0.25*

(95% CI)

(17.5, 21.8)

(16.3, 26.9)

(16.9, 21.6)

 

Days from index shoulder visit to first treatment

Mean

18.2

32.3

16.3

< 0.01*

(95% CI)

(14.8, 21.5)

(21.0, 43.6)

(12.8, 19.7)

 

First Treatment Initiated

 Physical therapy

n (%)

66 (11.5)

13 (13.3)

53 (11.2)

< 0.01‡

(95% CI)

 

(7.3, 21.6)

(8.5, 14.4)

 

 Injection

n (%)

286 (50.0)

33 (33.7)

253 (53.4)

 

(95% CI)

 

(24.4, 43.9)

(48.8, 57.9)

 

 Arthroscopic surgery

n (%)

79 (13.8)

7 (7.1)

72 (15.2)

 

(95% CI)

 

(2.9, 14.2)

(12.1, 18.7)

 

 Total joint replacement

n (%)

25 (4.4)

2 (2.0)

23 (4.8)

 

(95% CI)

 

(0.2, 7.1)

(3.1, 7.2)

 

 Watchful Waiting

n (%)

116 (20.3)

43 (43.9)

73 (15.4)

 

(95% CI)

 

(33.9, 54.3)

(12.3, 19.0)

 

Treatment ever receiveda

 Physical therapy

n (%)

94 (16.4)

21 (21.4)

73 (15.4)

0.14†

(95% CI)

 

(13.8, 30.9)

(12.3, 19.0)

 

 Injection

n (%)

351 (61.4)

46 (46.9)

305 (64.3)

< 0.01†

(95% CI)

 

(36.8, 57.3)

(59.8, 68.7)

 

 Arthroscopic surgery

n (%)

196 (34.3)

18 (18.4)

178 (37.5)

< 0.01†

(95% CI)

 

(11.3, 27.5)

(33.2, 42.1)

 

 Total joint replacement

n (%)

52 (9.1)

4 (4.1)

48 (10.1)

0.08‡

(95% CI)

 

(1.1, 10.1)

(7.5, 13.2)

 

 Watchful Waiting

n (%)

116 (20.3)

43 (43.8)

73 (15.4)

< 0.01†

(95% CI)

 

(33.9, 54.3)

(12.3, 19.0)

 

Number of PT sessions over treatment periodc

Mean

1.2

1.2

1.2

0.81*

(95% CI)

(1.1, 1.3)

(1.0, 1.4)

(1.1, 1.3)

 

Number of injections over treatment periodb

Mean

1.6

1.6

1.6

0.42*

(95% CI)

(1.5, 1.7)

(1.4, 1.9)

(1.5, 1.7)

 

Days from index shoulder visit to surgeryd

Mean

65.4

96.9

62.5

< 0.01*

(95% CI)

(58.0, 72.8)

(62.6, 131.1)

(55.1, 69.8)

 
  1. aGroups are not mutually exclusive and will sum to greater than 100 %
  2. bAmong patients receiving at least one injection in the treatment period
  3. cAmong patients receiving at least one physical therapy session in the treatment period
  4. dAmong patients receiving arthroscopic surgery or total joint replacement in the treatment period
  5. *p-value produced from Wilcoxon rank-sum test
  6. †p-value produced from Pearson’s chi-square test
  7. ‡p-value produced from Fisher’s exact test
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BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders

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