Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34210728›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2021

Regional and hospital variation in commonly performed paediatric otolaryngology procedures in the Netherlands: a population-based study of healthcare utilisation between 2016 and 2019.

Juliëtte J C M van Munster, Joost J G Wammes, Rolf H Bremmer, Amir H Zamanipoor Najafabadi, Raphael J Hemler, Wilco C Peul, Wilbert B van den Hout, Peter Paul G van Benthem

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
0.7field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Juliëtte J C M van MunsterOtorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands j.j.c.m.van_munster@lumc.nl.ORCID 0000-0002-1670-1800
Joost J G WammesHospital & Health Care, LOGEX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-8382-7198
Rolf H BremmerHospital & Health Care, LOGEX, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Amir H Zamanipoor NajafabadiUniversity Neurosurgical Center Holland, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-2400-2070
Raphael J HemlerOtorhinolaryngology, Gelre Hospitals, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.
Wilco C PeulUniversity Neurosurgical Center Holland, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0001-7274-1447
Wilbert B van den HoutBiomedical Data Sciences, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-6425-0135
Peter Paul G van BenthemOtorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-7946-1912
Leiden University Medical Center · NLGelre Hospitals · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveIn the past few decades, there has been an increase in high-quality studies providing evidence on the effectiveness of commonly performed procedures in paediatric otolaryngology. We believe that now is the time to re-evaluate the care process. We aimed to analyse (1) the regional variation in incidence and referrals of adenoidectomies, tonsillectomies and ventilation tube insertions in children in the Netherlands between 2016 and 2019, (2) whether regional surgical rates, referral rates and in-hospital surgical rates were associated with one another, and (3) the hospital variation in healthcare costs, which indicates the utilisation of resources.

designRepeated cross-sectional analysis.

settingFour neighbouring Dutch provinces comprising 2.8 million inhabitants and 14 hospitals.

participantsChildren aged 0-15 years. OUTCOME MEASURES: We analysed variation in regional surgical rates and referral rates per 1000 inhabitants and in-hospital surgical rates per 1000 clinic visitors, adjusted for age and socioeconomic status. Furthermore, the relationships between referral rates, regional surgical rates and in-hospital surgical rates were estimated. Lastly, variation in resource utilisation between hospitals was estimated.

resultsAdenoidectomy rates differed sixfold between regions. Twofold differences were observed for adenotonsillectomy rates, ventilation tube insertion rates and referral rates. Referral rates were negatively associated with in-hospital surgical rates for adenotonsillectomies, but not for adenoidectomies and ventilation tube insertions. In-hospital surgical rates were positively associated with regional rates for adenoidectomies and adenotonsillectomies. Significant variation between hospitals was observed in costs for all resources.

conclusionsWe observed low variation in tonsillectomies and ventilation tube insertion and high variation in adenoidectomies. Indications for a tonsillectomy and ventilation tube insertion are well defined in Dutch guidelines, whereas this is not the case for an adenoidectomy. Lack of agreement on indications can be expected and high-quality effectiveness research is required to improve evidence-based guidelines on this topic.

Indexed as

OtolaryngologyTonsillectomyChildCross-Sectional StudiesHospitalsHumansNetherlandsPatient Acceptance of Health Carehealth economicspaediatric otolaryngologyprotocols & guidelinesquality in health care

Identifiers

PMID34210728
PMCPMC8252878
OpenAlexW3177155258

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.