Our data suggests knee replacements place a significant burden on patients and the healthcare system. Improved management of these patients post-surgery could have significant societal benefits.
New York, NY (PRWEB) November 05, 2013
U.S. patients who undergo knee replacement surgery experience significant health impairments only one year after surgery, considerably limiting their physical activities, according to new findings from Kantar Health's National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS). The research will be presented today at the ISPOR (International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research) 16th Annual European Congress in Dublin.
“About 658,000 Americans underwent total knee arthroplasties in 2012, and that’s projected to grow to 3.5 million by 2030,” said Marc Pignot, Ph.D., Senior Director, Medical Device and Diagnostics Research, Kantar Health. “Unfortunately, no surgical knee treatment has an ideal safety profile, and all are limited by how long the devices last. Our survey of patients who have had a knee replacement procedure shows that they are already experiencing limitations within a year of their surgery."
According to the NHWS, patients who underwent knee replacement surgery in the past year reported significantly higher physical activity impairment than patients who had not had the procedure (38 percent versus 27 percent). These patients also reported significantly lower physical quality of life compared with patients who have not had knee replacement surgery (42.5 versus 47.6).
In addition to the physical impairments, patients who have undergone knee replacement surgery use significantly more healthcare resources than patients in the control group, placing a larger economic burden on both patients and the healthcare system. Patients who had undergone knee replacement surgery in the past year have had significantly more physician visits in the past six months compared with a group of matched controls (7.3 physician visits versus 4.5). Post-surgery patients also had significantly more emergency room visits and hospitalizations compared with patients who had not had knee replacement surgery.
“With the limited life of these devices, it’s possible young patients who have had a knee replacement surgery may have to have a revision surgery later in their lives,” Dr. Pignot said. “As these surgeries become more widespread, our data suggests they place a significant burden on patients and the healthcare system. Improved management of these patients post-surgery could have significant societal benefits.”
More results from this study can be found in the poster “Health Outcomes and Economic Burden of Post-Knee Replacement Surgery in Osteoarthritis Patients: Comparison with Matched Controls.”
About the National Health and Wellness Survey (NHWS)
The study’s results were drawn from the 2012 U.S. National Health and Wellness Survey, a nationally representative, self-administered survey conducted annually. Topics covered include the health status, attitudes, behaviors and outcomes among adults 18 or older.
Kantar Health conducts the NHWS in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Latin America. The survey is the largest self-reported dataset in the healthcare industry.
About Kantar Health
Kantar Health is a leading global healthcare consulting firm and trusted advisor to many pharmaceutical, biotech, and medical device and diagnostic companies worldwide. It combines evidence-based research capabilities with deep scientific, therapeutic and clinical knowledge, commercial development know-how, and brand and marketing expertise to help clients evaluate opportunities, launch products and maintain brand and market leadership.
Kantar Health deeply understands the influence of patients, payers and physicians, especially as they relate to the performance and payment of medicines and the delivery of healthcare services. Its 700+ healthcare industry specialists work across the product lifecycle, from preclinical development to launch, acting as catalysts to successful decision-making in life sciences and helping clients prioritize their product development and portfolio activities, differentiate their brands and drive product success post-launch. For more information, please visit http://www.kantarhealth.com.