Background:
Surgeon caseload has been shown to affect both health and economic outcomes
in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Although previous studies have
investigated disparities in access to care, little is known about
disparities between low- and high-volume surgeons and facilities.
Purpose:
To identify where disparities may exist regarding access to high-volume
surgeons and facilities.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Methods:
Univariate analysis was performed to analyze differences in the caseload
between low- and high-volume surgeons and facilities. Cutoff values were set
at 50 cases per year for high-volume surgeons and 125 cases annually for
high-volume facilities. Multiple linear regression was then used to develop
a cost model incorporating all variables significant under univariate
analysis. We collected 18,616 cases with Current Procedural Terminology code
29827 (“arthroscopic rotator cuff repair”) from the 2014 Florida State
Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases.
Results:
A greater proportion of the caseload for low-volume surgeons and facilities
was composed of patients who were of lower socioeconomic status, had
government-subsidized insurance, or lived in areas with low-income ZIP
codes. Low-volume surgeons and facilities also had higher total charges,
higher postoperative admission rates, and lower distal clavicle excision
rates (
P
< .001). In our cost model, a low facility
volume significantly increased costs. Subacromial decompression,
postoperative admission, distal clavicle excision, male sex, and
government-subsidized insurance were all significant factors for increased
costs in multivariate cost analysis.
Conclusion:
There are disparities in access to high-volume surgeons and facilities for
patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in Florida. Patients
with a lower socioeconomic status, government-subsidized insurance, and low
income all faced decreased access to these high-volume groups. High-volume
surgeons and facilities were associated with lower total charges, higher
rates of distal clavicle excision, and lower readmission rates. Low-volume
facilities added a significant amount of cost, even when controlling for all
other significant variables. It is important for providers to be aware of
these disparities and work to address them in their own practices.