Background: Little is known about the utilization of individual health services performed by a physician (IGeL) and the services and supplements provided outside a doctor's office (MuPaP) for osteoarthritis patients.
Objectives: The aims of this study are to analyze the use of osteoarthritis-specific IGeL and MuPaP as well as predictors for their utilization.
Materials and methods: For this cross-sectional study, claims data was used to identify all persons with hip, knee, or polyarticular osteoarthritis in 2014 (n = 657,807). A random sample (n = 8995) was sent a questionnaire about their usage of IGeL and MuPaP. Furthermore, the type of physicians conducting or recommending services was evaluated. Applying multivariable logistic regression, predictors associated with the utilization of IGeL, MuPaP, and overall individual health services were analyzed.
Results: After validating the data and osteoarthritis diagnosis, 2363 persons were enrolled (mean age: 65.5 years, 72% female). In the last 12 months, 39% of patients had used at least one IGeL (MuPaP: 76%), with 86% being primarily performed by orthopedists (MuPaP: 88% patient self-motivated). Knee osteoarthritis was associated with increased utilization of IGeL. Having female gender, higher income, residence in Western Germany, higher disease burden, and lower satisfaction with the healthcare system were influences on the use of overall individual health services.
Conclusions: Since patients with high disease burden in particular tend to use these therapies with varying treatment success, detailed information, especially about the risks and existing evidence, should be a prerequisite for trustworthy doctor-patient relationships.
Keywords: Data linkage; Health-services research; Osteoarthritis; Out-of-pocket payments; Socioeconomic status.