ABSTRACT
Introduction: The need for beds and health personnel to treat coronavirus (COVID- 19) patients has led to the suspension of many elective sur-geries in Chile, including knee arthroplasties. This study aims to determine the incidence of knee arthroplasty in 2020, reflecting the effect of the COVID- 19 pandemic, and estimate the cost and time it would take to recover the waiting list prior to March 2020. Methods: A cross- sectional study was designed. We analyzed databases from The Department of Statistics and Health Information databases from Chile for 2019 and 2020, identifying patients with surgical discharges associated with knee arthroplasty codes. We estimated the time it would take to recover the surgeries unperformed in 2020 by simulating a monthly workload increase from the 2019 baseline. The costs of knee arthroplasty paid by the National Health Fund to institutions were estimated by diagnosis-related groups. Results: We found that the incidence rate of knee arthroplasty in 2020 decreased by 64% compared with 2019. The impact was higher in the public system (68%) and the National Health Found (63%). A simulated increase in knee arthroplasty productivity by 30% would allow recovering the postponed knee arthroplasty surgeries in 27 months, at a monthly cost to the public system of 318 million Chilean pesos (378 thousand US dollars). Conclusions: The incidence rate of knee arthroplasty during 2020 decreased by 64%, revealing the extensive waiting line for people with knee osteoarthritis. An increase between 20- 40% in productivity compared with 2019 would allow recovering the unperformed surgeries in 20 to 41 months, at a monthly cost to the public network between 210 and 425 million Chilean pesos (250 to 506 thousand US dollars).
Introducción: Debido a la respuesta de los servicios de salud a la pandemia por COVID- 19, se han suspendido cirugías electivas como la artroplastía de rodilla. El objetivo de este estudio es determinar la incidencia de artroplastías de rodilla en 2020 reflejando el efecto de la pandemia, y estimar el tiempo y el costo para recuperar la situación de lista de espera previa a marzo de 2020. Métodos: Estudio transversal. Se analizaron las bases de datos del Departamento de Estadística e Información en Salud de Chile de 2019 y 2020, identificando pacientes asociados a códigos de artroplastía de rodilla. Se calculó el número mensual de artroplastias realizadas durante 2019 para estimar el tiempo que tomará recuperar las cirugías no realizadas en 2020. El costo asociado a artroplastía de rodilla se hizo según el método de pago utilizado por el Fondo Nacional de Salud estimado por grupos relacionados por diagnóstico. Resultados: En 2020 la tasa de incidencia de artroplastía de rodilla por 100 000 habitantes disminuyó 64% comparado con 2019. El impacto fue mayor en el sistema público (68%) y en beneficiarios del Fondo Nacional de Salud (63%). Un aumento en la productividad en 30% respecto a 2019 haría que en 27 meses se recuperen las cirugías no realizadas en 2020, significando un costo adicional mensual en el sistema público de 318 262 530 pesos chilenos (equivalentes a 378 mil dólares americanos, USD). Conclusiones: Hubo una importante disminución de la tasa de artroplastías de rodilla en 2020, estimándose una caída del 64% en la incidencia por 100 000 habitantes. Esto muestra un incremento importante de personas que esperan la resolución a la artrosis de rodilla. Un aumento entre 20 y 40% respecto de 2019 permitiría recuperar las cirugías no realizadas en un plazo entre 20 y 41 meses, a un costo mensual en el sistema público que varía entre 210 y 425 millones pesos chilenos (de 250 a 506 mil dólares americanos, USD).
Subject(s)
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee , COVID-19 , COVID-19/epidemiology , Chile/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Disease Outbreaks , Humans , RegistriesABSTRACT
Purpose To analyze the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak during the first pandemic year in a single country. Methods A cross-sectional study was designed. The free access database of the Chilean Department of Statistics and Health Information (DEIS) was used to compare the number of orthopedic procedures between 2019 and 2020. Country mobility was exported from the Institute of Complex Engineering Systems (ISCI) free-access database; this corresponds to a direct measurement of the degree of confinement of the country. Spearman correlation (rho) was used to analyze the total monthly COVID infection trend and mobility to orthopedics procedures. Results The number of orthopedic surgeries fell by 22.8% during the first year of the pandemic. All surgical procedures were adversely affected, with the fracture/trauma surgeries being the least affected. The maximum adverse impact was seen in knee arthroplasty (-64%), followed by hip arthroplasty (-41%) and knee ligament reconstruction (-44%). The number of orthopedic procedures had a mild correlation to the monthly number of COVID-19 cases (rho=-0.53, p=0.08) and a strong correlation with the country's mobility (rho=0.94, p=0.0001). Conclusions The COVID-19 outbreak diminished the number of orthopedic procedures during 2020, and the impact was directly correlated to the country's mobility. The public health network did have a more significant adverse impact in elective surgeries due to a slower recovery than private institutions. An increase in the waiting list should be expected, which will widen the difference in access to orthopedic surgery in Chile.