Patient Satisfaction Study and Race

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons reports that Black patients are less likely to be “completely satisfied” with their care post joint replacement than Whites. The study included over 4,600 patients who had primary knee (2,113) or hip (2,516) replacement surgery in New York, New Jersey, or Connecticut. Why were Black patients less satisfied than Whites? Socioeconomic status, joint replacement outcome, and health insurance coverage seemed to have no effect on satisfaction level for this group. “Confidence in the health care system may contribute to the delay in seeking care, and this is something we need to address,” commented coauthor of the study, Mark P. Figgie, MD.

Dr. Figgie, chief emeritus of the Surgical Arthritis Service at Hospital for Special Surgery, continued, “The study is important because we know that Black patients generally wait longer to seek treatment, presenting with worse pain and function prior to surgery, and we are trying to sort out the barriers to seeking timely care. Patient outcome measures indicate that although Black patients achieve significant improvement after surgery, it does not reach the same level as those who seek timely treatment.”

 

Read the press release.

Other Categories:

• joint dysfunction

• joint replacement

• orthopedics

• research/study

• rheumatoid arthritis

• Surgery