title: The wait for total hip replacement in patients with osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We documented the following components of waiting time for total hip replacement (THR): first surgical consultation, date of decision to operate and date of surgery. We then explored whether these intervals differed by age, sex, occupation or quality-of-life score.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used a cross-sectional design and collected the primary data from patients 2 to 4 weeks before they underwent THR. Trained interviewers administered the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), which included data on event dates, conservative treatment, demographic information and quality of life. We illustrated waiting times, quality of life and past use of conservative treatment (i.e., cane, exercise, physiotherapy) with descriptive statistics (mean [standard deviation] or median [intraquartile range]) for continuous variables and with percentages for categorical variables. We plotted KaplanMeier graphs for each waiting time component and employed log-rank analysis to determine whether any of these delays differed by age, sex, occupation or disability. We also performed a Cox regression to adjust for all covariates simultaneously.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median wait from surgical consultation to decision to operate was 0 months. There was no difference between age, sex or occupation. The median wait from decision to operate to the date of surgery was 6 months and did not differ by age, sex or occupation. However, subjects with more severe symptoms (WOMAC) underwent surgery earlier than did those with less severe disease.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although neither of the waiting time components were associated with age, sex or occupation, patients with more severe symptoms appear to be prioritized for surgery.
authors.affiliation: Division of Santé communautaire, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Qué., Canada.
authors.forename: Marie-Claire
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Gaudet
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ehrmann Feldman
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rossignol
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zukor
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanzer
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gravel
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Réjean
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dumais
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shrier
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004651:Employment; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000601:surgery*; D011788:Quality of Life; D011792:Quebec; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014850:Waiting Lists