ArticleCureus2026
Evaluating the Use of Zip Codes as a Proxy for Socioeconomic Status in Surgeon Ranking Systems: A Single-Center Arthroplasty Study.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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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.
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Who cites it
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Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction When comparing surgical outcomes for individual physicians, it is important to note the multifactorial element of socioeconomic status (SES) in recovery complications. Area-based measures of SES, like residential zip codes, are often used in risk-adjustment models. In this study, we sought to determine if residential zip codes are an accurate reflection of SES at the level of a single arthroplasty practice. Methods We conducted a retrospective study of 165 local residents who received a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at our institution between May 2018 and May 2023. Primary residential addresses were collected from the electronic medical records. Individual property values were obtained from the local Central Appraisal District (CAD) website, and average zip code-level values were obtained directly from data provided by the CAD. Patients were excluded if their record address was a P.O. Box, apartment, or was missing from the electronic medical record. Results The mean individual home value was overestimated by an average of $32,497 (17.9%) by the mean zip code-based value (P = 0.0015). The Pearson correlation between the two variables (0.455) indicated a moderate association. Zip code estimates explained only 21% of the variance in the individual home values (R
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