Clinical and Significant Demographic Variables Related to Waiting Time for 553 Patients Scheduled for Major Joint Arthroplasty Between December 1995 and January 1997 at Two Referral Hospitals in the Capital Health Region, Edmonton
| Variable | Patients, no. (and %) | Mean (and SD) waiting time, d (univariate comparison) | B* (multivariate comparison) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marital status | |||
| Unmarried | 202 (37) | 108.9 (92.6) | Comparison |
| Married | 351 (63) | 105.4 (88.5) | −1.18† |
| Primary language | |||
| English or French | 431 (78) | 110.5 (91.5) | Comparison |
| Other | 122 (22) | 93.2 (83.3)† | −1.24† |
| Affected joint | |||
| Hip | 304 (55) | 111.2 (90.3) | Comparison |
| Knee | 249 (45) | 101.1 (89.3) | 1.15 |
| Diagnosis | |||
| Rheumatoid arthritis | 31 (6) | 89.4 (83.1) | Comparison |
| Osteoarthritis | 487 (94) | 105.3 (85.9) | −1.33 |
| Body mass index | |||
| ≤ 26 | 197 (39) | 97.6 (88.9) | Comparison |
| 27–32 | 199 (39) | 109.8 (90.5) | 1.14 |
| > 32 | 105 (21) | 121.9 (90.5)† | 1.27† |
| Comorbid conditions | |||
| ≤ 2 | 195 (35) | 107.7 (96.1) | Comparison |
| 3 – 4 | 214 (38) | 110.4 (92.9) | 1.11 |
| > 4 | 144 (26) | 99.6 (75.9) | −1.03 |
| Medication Quantification Score | |||
| 0 | 94 (17) | 102.3 (85.8) | Comparison |
| 1–3 | 161 (29) | 109.6 (95.1) | 1.25 |
| 4–6 | 167 (30) | 109.1 (91.5) | 1.28† |
| ≥ 7 | 131 (24) | 103.1 (84.9) | 1.16 |
| Walking aids | |||
| Yes | 369 (67) | 103.0 (85.0) | Comparison |
| No | 184 (33) | 114.0 (99.0) | −1.03 |
| WOMAC pain | |||
| Mild | 45 (8) | 124.1 (102.3) | Comparison |
| Moderate | 360 (67) | 107.6 (90.2) | −1.04 |
| Severe | 135 (25) | 100.7 (83.0) | −1.22 |
| WOMAC stiffness | |||
| Mild | 53 (10) | 124.8 (101.8) | Comparison |
| Moderate | 299 (54) | 106.0 (88.5) | −1.22 |
| Severe | 201 (36) | 103.6 (86.8) | −1.16 |
| WOMAC function | |||
| Good | 39 (8) | 137.8 (103.4)† | Comparison |
| Fair | 310 (62) | 108.3 (92.6) | −1.03 |
| Poor | 154 (31) | 97.4 (74.8) | 1.05 |
| Surgeon’s practice | |||
| ≥ 25 arthroplasties/yr | 525 (95) | 109.6 (90.3) | Comparison |
| < 25 arthroplasties/yr | 28 (5) | 53.9 (42.3)‡ | −1.85‡§ |
WOMAC = Western Ontario and McMaster Universities.
↵* Exponentiation of the coefficient
↵† p < 0.05
↵‡ p < 0.001
↵§ Persons seen by surgeons who performed less than 25 major arthroplasties per year waited on average .54 times as long (less time) for their surgery, in comparison with patients seen by surgeons who performed more than 25 major arthroplasties per year.
For negative coefficients only, use the reciprocal for interpretation (i.e 1/1.85 = 0.54).