CME OnDemand: 2022 AOFAS Annual Meeting-Few Randomized Controlled Trials in Foot and Ankle Orthopaedics Include Sociodemographic Patient Data

Pdf Summary

A study conducted at Penn State Health aimed to determine the inclusion of sociodemographic data in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) related to foot and ankle surgery. The researchers searched the PubMed database for RCTs published between 2016 and 2021 using the term "Foot and Ankle Surgery." They recorded the journal and year of publication of each article, as well as the outcomes studied. The articles were categorized into four outcome groups: infection prevention, pain control, surgical outcomes, and non-operative outcomes.<br /><br />The researchers found that the inclusion of sociodemographic data in RCTs was low. Out of 34 studies analyzed, only a small percentage reported sociodemographic variables. Specifically, race was reported in 5.9% of the studies, ethnicity in 2.9%, insurance status in none, income in none, work status in 2.9%, and education in 2.9%. When comparing the inclusion of sociodemographic data by journal, year of publication, and outcome type, no significant differences were found.<br /><br />The study highlights the importance of considering social determinants of health in patient care. Factors such as race, education, and income can significantly impact patient outcomes in orthopedic surgery. While retrospective studies are often limited by data availability, prospective RCTs have the opportunity to select their own patient demographics for analysis. However, this study reveals that RCTs related to foot and ankle surgery often fail to include sociodemographic data.<br /><br />To better care for patients, it is crucial to recognize and address the impact of sociodemographic factors on outcomes. The researchers suggest that future work should increase the number of journals included in the analysis and utilize databases other than PubMed. By doing so, a more comprehensive understanding of sociodemographic data inclusion in RCTs related to foot and ankle surgery can be gained for improved patient care.

Asset Subtitle

Brandon J. Martinazzi, BS, Gregory Kirchner, Hannah Nam, Kirsten N. Mansfield, Kelly Dopke, Anna Ptasinski, Vincenzo Bonaddio, MD, Zachary Koroneos, BS, Michael C. Aynardi, MD

Keywords

sociodemographic data

RCTs

foot and ankle surgery

outcomes studied

infection prevention

pain control

surgical outcomes

non-operative outcomes

social determinants of health

patient care