title: Ambulatory physician care for musculoskeletal disorders in Canada.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine patterns of ambulatory physician visits for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) in Canada.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physician claims data from 7 provinces were analyzed for ambulatory visits made by adults age >or= 15 years to primary care physicians and specialists (all medical specialists, rheumatologists, internists, all surgical specialists, orthopedic surgeons) for MSD (arthritis and related conditions, bone disorders, back disorders, ill defined symptoms) during fiscal year 1998-99. Person-visit rates and total and mean number of visits to all physicians for MSD were calculated by condition group. The percentages of patients with MSD seeing physicians of different specialties were also calculated. Provincial data were combined to calculate national estimates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over 15.5 million physician visits were made for MSD during 1998-99. About 24% of Canadians made at least one physician visit for MSD: 16% for arthritis and related conditions, 2% for bone disorders, 7% for back disorders, and 6% for ill defined symptoms. Person-visit rates for MSD varied by province, were highest among older Canadians, and were greater for women than men. Primary care physicians were commonly seen, particularly for back disorders. Consultation with surgical and medical specialists was less common and varied by province and by condition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MSD place a significant burden on Canada's ambulatory healthcare system. As the population ages, there will be an escalating demand for care. Careful planning will be required to ensure that those affected have access to the care they require. A limitation in using administrative data to examine health service utilization is that MSD diagnostic codes require validation.
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Community Research and Evaluation Unit (ACREU), Toronto Western Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto.
authors.forename: J Denise
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Power
authors.forename: Anthony V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Perruccio
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Desmeules
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lagacé
authors.forename: Elizabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Badley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002170:Canada; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012219:Rheumatology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data