Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Changes to consultations and diagnosis of osteoarthritis in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic

Velek, Premysl ; de Schepper, Evelien ; Schiphof, Dieuwke ; Evert van Spil, Willem ; Englund, Martin LU orcid ; Magnusson, Karin LU ; Kiadaliri, Ali LU orcid ; Dell'Isola, Andrea LU ; Licher, Silvan and Bierma-Zeinstra, Sita , et al. (2023) In Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 31(6). p.829-838
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: General practitioners (GP) are often the first medical professionals to treat musculoskeletal complaints. Yet the impact of COVID-19 on primary care utilisation for musculoskeletal complaints is largely unknown. This study quantifies the impact of the pandemic on primary care utilisation for musculoskeletal complaints and specifically osteoarthritis (OA) in the Netherlands.

DESIGN: We extracted data on GP consultations in 2015-2020 from 118,756 patients over 45 years of age and estimated reductions in consultations in 2020 as compared to 5-year average. Outcomes were GP consultations for: any musculoskeletal complaints, knee and hip OA and complaints, newly diagnosed knee and hip OA/complaints.

RESULTS: The... (More)

OBJECTIVE: General practitioners (GP) are often the first medical professionals to treat musculoskeletal complaints. Yet the impact of COVID-19 on primary care utilisation for musculoskeletal complaints is largely unknown. This study quantifies the impact of the pandemic on primary care utilisation for musculoskeletal complaints and specifically osteoarthritis (OA) in the Netherlands.

DESIGN: We extracted data on GP consultations in 2015-2020 from 118,756 patients over 45 years of age and estimated reductions in consultations in 2020 as compared to 5-year average. Outcomes were GP consultations for: any musculoskeletal complaints, knee and hip OA and complaints, newly diagnosed knee and hip OA/complaints.

RESULTS: The relative reductions in consultations ranged from 46.7% (95% CI: 43.9-49.3%) (all musculoskeletal consultations) to 61.6% (95% CI: 44.7-73.3%) (hip complaints) at the peak of the first wave, and from 9.3% (95% CI: 5.7-12.7%) (all musculoskeletal consultations) to 26.6% (95% CI: 11.5-39.1%) (knee OA) at the peak of the second wave. The reductions for new diagnoses were 87.0% (95% CI: 71.5-94.1%) for knee OA/complaints, and 70.5% (95% CI: 37.7-86.0%) for hip OA/complaints at the peak of the first wave, and and not statistically significant at the peak of the second wave.

CONCLUSION: We observed 47% reduction in GP consultations for musculoskeletal disorders during the first wave and 9.3% during the second wave. For hip and knee OA/complaints, the reductions were over 50% during the first, and 10% during the second wave. This disruption may lead to accumulation of patients with severe OA symptomsand more requests for arthroplasty surgery.

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Osteoarthritis and Cartilage
volume
31
issue
6
pages
829 - 838
publisher
W.B. Saunders
external identifiers
  • scopus:85151484737
  • pmid:36878380
ISSN
1063-4584
DOI
10.1016/j.joca.2023.02.075
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
id
817a8f22-411b-446b-92d9-73c4f2b6f45b
date added to LUP
2023-03-07 09:48:08
date last changed
2025-05-04 07:14:09
@article{817a8f22-411b-446b-92d9-73c4f2b6f45b,
  abstract     = {{<p>OBJECTIVE: General practitioners (GP) are often the first medical professionals to treat musculoskeletal complaints. Yet the impact of COVID-19 on primary care utilisation for musculoskeletal complaints is largely unknown. This study quantifies the impact of the pandemic on primary care utilisation for musculoskeletal complaints and specifically osteoarthritis (OA) in the Netherlands.</p><p>DESIGN: We extracted data on GP consultations in 2015-2020 from 118,756 patients over 45 years of age and estimated reductions in consultations in 2020 as compared to 5-year average. Outcomes were GP consultations for: any musculoskeletal complaints, knee and hip OA and complaints, newly diagnosed knee and hip OA/complaints.</p><p>RESULTS: The relative reductions in consultations ranged from 46.7% (95% CI: 43.9-49.3%) (all musculoskeletal consultations) to 61.6% (95% CI: 44.7-73.3%) (hip complaints) at the peak of the first wave, and from 9.3% (95% CI: 5.7-12.7%) (all musculoskeletal consultations) to 26.6% (95% CI: 11.5-39.1%) (knee OA) at the peak of the second wave. The reductions for new diagnoses were 87.0% (95% CI: 71.5-94.1%) for knee OA/complaints, and 70.5% (95% CI: 37.7-86.0%) for hip OA/complaints at the peak of the first wave, and and not statistically significant at the peak of the second wave.</p><p>CONCLUSION: We observed 47% reduction in GP consultations for musculoskeletal disorders during the first wave and 9.3% during the second wave. For hip and knee OA/complaints, the reductions were over 50% during the first, and 10% during the second wave. This disruption may lead to accumulation of patients with severe OA symptomsand more requests for arthroplasty surgery.</p>}},
  author       = {{Velek, Premysl and de Schepper, Evelien and Schiphof, Dieuwke and Evert van Spil, Willem and Englund, Martin and Magnusson, Karin and Kiadaliri, Ali and Dell'Isola, Andrea and Licher, Silvan and Bierma-Zeinstra, Sita and Runhaar, Jos}},
  issn         = {{1063-4584}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{6}},
  pages        = {{829--838}},
  publisher    = {{W.B. Saunders}},
  series       = {{Osteoarthritis and Cartilage}},
  title        = {{Changes to consultations and diagnosis of osteoarthritis in primary care during the COVID-19 pandemic}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.joca.2023.02.075}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.joca.2023.02.075}},
  volume       = {{31}},
  year         = {{2023}},
}