Is there an association between deprivation and pre-operative disease severity? A cross-sectional study of patient-reported health status.
OBJECTIVE
Differences in access to elective surgery may contribute to socioeconomic differences in health. We studied the associations between pre-operative health status (as an indicator of clinical need) and deprivation.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study with risk-adjusted comparison of preoperative patient-reported health status and deprivation scores.


METHODS
Thirteen NHS hospitals, two independent sector treatment centres and one private hospital in England and Wales.


METHODS
A total of 1160 NHS-funded patients undergoing hip replacement, knee replacement or varicose vein surgery.


METHODS
s) None.


METHODS
General health status (EQ-5D), disease-specific health status (Oxford hip score, Oxford knee score and Aberdeen varicose vein symptom severity score) and area deprivation score.


RESULTS
Patients from more deprived areas reported worse EQ-5D scores. Differences in crude mean disease-specific health status scores between the least and most deprived fifths were small: hip score 3.5; knee score 6.8; varicose vein score 4.8. When risk adjusted the strength of the association fell by about half for hip (0.176-0.083) and knee (0.214-0.117) and one-third for varicose vein surgery (0.215-0.140), although the coefficients remained statistically significant (P < or = 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Deprivation was associated with worse pre-operative general health status. However, given that the variation in pre-operative disease-specific health status by deprivation score was of small clinical significance and the limited power of the risk adjustment model, there is little evidence of socioeconomic inequity in access to three common elective surgical procedures.
Soljak
Michael
M
Department of Primary Care and Social Medicine, Imperial College London, UK. m.soljak07@imperial.ac.uk
Browne
John
J
Lewsey
James
J
Black
Nick
N
D000368:Aged; D019644:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip; D019645:Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000191:economics*; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000191:economics*; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057234:Preoperative Period; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013222:State Medicine; D014648:Varicose Veins / Q000601:surgery; D014852:Wales