Competing Risks Methods Are Recommended for Estimating the Cumulative Incidence of Revision Arthroplasty for Health Care Planning Purposes.

Cumulative incidence of revision provides a measure of the failure rate of joint replacements and can be used to project demand for revisions. The most commonly applied survival analysis method (Kaplan-Meier [KM]) does not account for competing risks (eg, death). The authors compared the cumulative incidence function (CIF), a competing risks method, with the KM method through application to population-based cohorts.

Kaplan-Meier survival analysis overestimates cumulative incidence of health-related events in competing risk settings: a meta-analysis.

Objectives: Kaplan-Meier survival analysis overestimates cumulative incidence in competing risks (CRs) settings. The extent of overestimation (or its clinical significance) has been questioned, and CRs methods are infrequently used. This meta-analysis compares the Kaplan-Meier method to the cumulative incidence function (CIF), a CRs method.

Economic impact study: neuromuscular training reduces the burden of injuries and costs compared to standard warm-up in youth soccer.

Background: There is randomised controlled trial (RCT) evidence that neuromuscular training (NMT) programmes can reduce the risk of injury in youth soccer. We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of such an NMT prevention strategy compared to a standard of practice warm-up.

Methods: A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted alongside a cluster RCT.

Cost-effectiveness of a nurse practitioner-family physician model of care in a nursing home: controlled before and after study.

Aims: To examine the cost-effectiveness of a nurse practitioner-family physician model of care compared with family physician-only care in a Canadian nursing home.

Background: As demand for long-term care increases, alternative care models including nurse practitioners are being explored.

Design: Cost-effectiveness analysis using a controlled before-after design.

Kaplan-Meier Survival Analysis Overestimates the Risk of Revision Arthroplasty: A Meta-analysis.

Background: Although Kaplan-Meier survival analysis is commonly used to estimate the cumulative incidence of revision after joint arthroplasty, it theoretically overestimates the risk of revision in the presence of competing risks (such as death). Because the magnitude of overestimation is not well documented, the potential associated impact on clinical and policy decision-making remains unknown.

Questions/purposes: We performed a meta-analysis to answer the following questions: (1) To what extent does the Kaplan-Meier method overestimate the cumulative incidence of revision after joint replacement compared with alternative competing-risks methods? (2) Is the extent of overestimation influenced by followup time or rate of competing risks?

Methods: We searched Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, BIOSIS Previews, and Web of Science (1946, 1980, 1980, and 1899, respectively, to October 26, 2013) and included article bibliographies for studies comparing estimated cumulative incidence of revision after hip or knee arthroplasty obtained using both Kaplan-Meier and competing-risks methods.

Age modification of diabetes-related hospitalization among First Nations adults in Alberta, Canada.

Background: We sought to determine the modifying effects of age and multimorbidity on the association between First Nations status and hospitalizations for diabetes-specific ambulatory care sensitive conditions (ACSC).

Findings: We identified 183,654 adults with diabetes from Alberta Canada, and followed them for one year for the outcome of hospitalization or emergency department (ED) visit for a diabetes-specific ACSC. We used logistic regression to determine the association between First Nations status and the outcome, assessing for effect modification by age and multimorbidity with interaction terms.

Reality check: the cost-effectiveness of removing body checking from youth ice hockey.

Background/aim: The risk of injury among Pee Wee (ages 11-12 years) ice hockey players in leagues that allow body checking is threefold greater than in leagues that do not allow body checking. We estimated the cost-effectiveness of a no body checking policy versus a policy that allows body checking in Pee Wee ice hockey.

Methods: Cost-effectiveness analysis alongside a prospective cohort study during the 2007-2008 season, including players in Quebec (n=1046), where policy did not allow body checking, and in Alberta (n=1108), where body checking was allowed.