title: Incident osteoarthritis associated with increased allied health services use in 'baby boomer' Australian women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore impact of incident osteoarthritis (OA) on health services use by Australian women born 1946-51.
  
  
  METHODS
  Secondary analysis of Australian Longitudinal Study on Women's Health survey data linked to Medicare Australia databases (2002 to 2011). Medicare services use was compared for two groups: OA group (n=761) - reported incident OA in 2007; Never group (n=4346) - did not report arthritis in time frame. Interrupted time series regression compared health services use over time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The OA group had higher health services use than the Never group. Rate of services use increased over time for both groups. Rate of increase in quarterly doctor attendances was significantly lower for the OA group after onset of OA, with no corresponding change for the Never group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A pre-existing higher use of health services is associated with reporting incident OA, compared to those who never report arthritis. After onset of OA, rate of doctor use reduced and allied health use increased, consistent with recommended Australian treatment guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides a rare insight into change in healthcare use for people reporting incident OA, against an appropriate comparison group, highlighting the importance of early diagnosis of OA to optimise effective use of health services.
authors.affiliation: Central Queensland University, Human Health and Social Sciences.
authors.forename: Lynne
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Parkinson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Population Health Research, Curtin University of Technology, Western Australia.
authors.forename: Rachael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moorin
authors.affiliation: School of Population Health, The University of Queensland.|School of Human Movement Studies, The University of Queensland.
authors.forename: Geeske
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peeters
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Byles
authors.affiliation: Concord Clinical School, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blyth
authors.affiliation: Quality Use of Medicines and Pharmacy Research Centre, Sansom Institute for Health Research, University of South Australia.
authors.forename: Gillian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Caughey
authors.affiliation: NHMRC Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cunich
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales.|Discipline of General Practice, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Parker
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magin
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Lyn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: March
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Gender, Health and Ageing, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales.|Discipline of General Practice, The University of Newcastle, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Dimity
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pond
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006306:Health Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016387:Women's Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: aged; arthritis; health services; osteoarthritis; women