No. 302.
Office Visits to Orthopedic Surgeons: United States, 1995-96. 32 pp.
(PHS) 98-1250 View/download
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The National Center for
Health Statistics (NCHS) has issued a report documenting office visits to
orthopedic surgeons over the period 1995-96. Some of the findings in the
report include:
During
1995-96, an estimated 76.5 million office visits were made to orthopedic
surgeons, an average of 38.3 million visits per year, resulting in an
annual rate of 14.5 visits per 100 persons.
More
than 6 of every 10 visits made to orthopedic surgeons were injury related.
While this specialty accounted for about 5 percent of all injury-related
office visits, it saw 28 percent of all injury-related office visits.
The
visit rate to orthopedic surgeons increased with each age group up to
45-64 years. For age groups 45-64 years, 65-74 years, and 75 years and
over, there were no significant differences in visit rates.
About
4 of every 10 visits were the result of a referral by another physician,
and one-quarter of all visits were made by new patients.
Orthopedic
surgery visits were more likely to be covered by insured, fee-for-service
arrangements compared with visits to other surgical specialties, but were
less likely to be paid under an HMO\prepaid plan.
Six
of every 10 visits were due to a symptom referable to the musculoskeletal
system. Knee symptoms were mentioned most frequently by either sex. Back
and shoulder symptoms were also prominent.
The
most frequent principal diagnosis was fracture of lower limb, cited at 8.6
percent of visits overall, and 14.2 percent of visits by persons under the
age of 25.
X-rays
were ordered or provided at more than one-third (38.6 percent) of
orthopedic surgery visits, compared with 5.4 percent of visits to other
surgical specialties.
Three
of every 10 visits to orthopedic surgeons (30.8 percent) included
medication therapy, compared with 45.2 percent of visits to other surgical
specialties. Drugs used for pain relief accounted for more than one-half
of the medications reported at orthopedic surgery visits.
Between
1975 and 1996, the rate of visits to orthopedic surgeons did not change
significantly for persons under 45 years of age, but increased for those
in the age groups 45-64 years, 65-74 years, and 75 years and over.
The
report, "Office Visits to Orthopedic Surgeons: United States,
1995-96," Advance Data Number 302, is based on data from the National
Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, conducted by NCHS.