ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Depressive symptoms are prevalent among knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients and may lead to additional medical costs. We compared medical costs in Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) respondents with KOA with and without self-reported depressive symptoms. METHODS: We identified a KOA cohort using ICD-9/10 diagnostic codes in both Part A and Part B claims among community-dwelling MCBS respondents from 2003 to 2019. We determined the presence of depressive symptoms using self-reported data on sadness or anhedonia. We considered three groups: 1) without depressive symptoms, 2) with depressive symptoms, no billable services, and 3) with depressive symptoms and billable services. We used a generalized linear model with log-transformed outcomes to compare annual total direct medical costs among the three groups, adjusting for age, gender, race, history of fall, Total Joint Replacement, comorbidities, and calendar year. RESULTS: The analysis included 4118 MCBS respondents with KOA. Of them, 27% had self-reported depressive symptoms, and 6% reported depressive symptoms and received depression-related billable services. The adjusted mean direct medical costs were $8598/year for those without depressive symptoms, $9239/year for those who reported depressive symptoms and received no billable services, and $14,229/year for those who reported depressive symptoms and received billable services. CONCLUSION: While over one quarter of Medicare beneficiaries with KOA self-reported depressive symptoms, only 6% received billable medical services. The presence of depressive symptoms led to higher direct medical costs, even among those who did not receive depression-related billable services.
Subject(s)
Depression , Health Care Costs , Medicare , Osteoarthritis, Knee , Humans , Osteoarthritis, Knee/economics , Osteoarthritis, Knee/psychology , United States , Male , Female , Medicare/economics , Aged , Depression/economics , Depression/epidemiology , Health Care Costs/statistics & numerical data , Aged, 80 and over , Middle Aged , Self ReportABSTRACT
Background: Total joint replacement recipients (TJR) are at risk for prosthetic joint infection (PJI), particularly those with comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus (DM) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: We mailed surveys to 1078 subjects undergoing primary TJR between 2011 and 2016 âat an academic center. The survey asked about medical, dental, and orthopedic history and use of antibiotics prior to dental appointments. We generated adjusted relative risks (aRR) for using antibiotic prophylaxis less than always using Poisson regression, adjusting for demographic, clinical, and behavioral factors. Results: We received surveys from 639 subjects; 597 were eligible and formed the analytical sample. 66 â% reported always using antibiotic prophylaxis. DM and RA were not associated with prophylaxis use. Factors associated with less frequent use included: BMI ≥30 (aRR â= â1.27, 95 â% CI [1.01, 1.60]), dental cleanings <2 times/year (aRR â= â1.95, 95 â% CI [1.56, 2.43]), and expressing little concern (compared to neutral) about getting PJI (aRR â= â1.23, 95 â% CI [0.97, 1.55]), though this association was not statistically significant. Greater antibiotic use was reported in subjects who had ≥3 TJRs, (aRR â= â0.48, 95 â% CI [0.29, 0.80]), underwent more invasive dental procedures (aRR â= â0.74, 95 â% CI [0.59, 0.93]), and were concerned (vs. neutral) about PJI (aRR â= â0.53, 95 â%CI [0.33, 0.84]). Conclusions: Two-thirds of TJR recipients in an academic center reported always using antibiotic prophylaxis prior to dental visits. Usage rates varied by demographics, BMI, number of TJRs, type of dental procedure, and behavioral factors -- but not by comorbidities associated with higher PJI risk.
