Health care utilization after medical and surgical therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease: a population-based study, 1996 to 2000.
OBJECTIVE
Patients who undergo surgical treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) will use fewer health care resources than those who continue to be treated medically during the same follow-up period.


METHODS
Matched cohort study of patients with a diagnosis of GERD receiving surgical therapy or medical therapy.


METHODS
Tennessee Medicaid (TennCare) program from 1996 through 2000.


METHODS
Population-based sample of 7635 TennCare enrollees with a diagnosis of GERD served as the underlying population. Of these, 111 surgical patients who underwent fundoplication in 1996 met inclusion criteria. The 200 patients in the medically treated cohort were randomly matched to patients in the surgical cohort by demographic characteristics and previous use of acid-suppressing drugs.


METHODS
The surgical group all underwent fundoplication in 1996. The medical group was treated without fundoplication.


METHODS
Health care utilization (medication use, outpatient visits, hospitalizations, and diagnostic studies) for each cohort through December 2000.


RESULTS
In the 4-year follow-up period, the surgical group had fewer GERD-related outpatient physician visits (5.5 +/- 6.9 visits vs 6.7 +/- 6.1 visits; P =.10). Utilization of other types of outpatient and inpatient care was similar. During each year of follow-up, the proportion of persons using GERD medication was lower in the surgical group. (0.67 vs 0.93 in year 1, 0.67 vs 0.91 in year 2, 0.72 vs 0.85 in year 3, and 0.74 vs 0.90 in year 4).


CONCLUSIONS
The utilization of health care resources in patients treated surgically for GERD is associated with a modest decrease in the use of GERD-related medications and GERD-related visits.
Khaitan
Leena
L
Department of Surgery, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics, Nashville, TN 37232, USA.
Ray
Wayne A
WA
Holzman
Michael D
MD
Smalley
Walter E
WE
D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004363:Drug Utilization; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000601:surgery*; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013714:Tennessee