Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether a patient decision aid could be a cost-effective use of resources in patients considering total joint replacement for hip or knee osteoarthritis. A patient decision aid is a tool designed to help patients engage in health care decision-making by providing information on the potential benefits and harms of competing treatment options, and helping them think about what matters to them. Methods: This analysis was based on a randomised controlled trial performed in Ottawa Ontario. It used patient reported data on health care resource use (doctor visits, prescription medications, rehabilitation) and chart review to determine whether the patient had surgery. Results: Our analysis found that using the patient decision aid resulted in fewer patients choosing to undergo surgery, resulting in decreased health care costs, while also providing more benefit to patients. Conclusions: Given there are over 100,000 arthroplasties performed in Canada each year, implementing a decision aid could have important health policy implications. Future research will link trial and administrative data to allow for longer-term (5-year) evaluation of cost-effectiveness.