Novel Patient Intake Survey for the Diagnosis and Management of Hip Osteoarthritis.

INTRODUCTION

Hip osteoarthritis (OA) is a common cause of hip pain in adults and a frequent presentation in primary care, emergency departments, and orthopedic clinics. To improve patient triage and optimize clinical efficiency, we developed a nine-item intake survey designed to assess patient symptoms and prior treatments. This study aimed to evaluate the survey's ability to differentiate hip OA from other hip pathologies and assess its correlation with treatment recommendations.

METHODS

New patients presenting with hip pain were administered a nine-item multiple choice survey. Each response was assigned a score, and the total cumulative score was recorded. Diagnoses and treatment recommendations, including total hip arthroplasty (THA), were documented. Logistic regression was used to assess associations between the survey scores and both diagnosis and treatment recommendations. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and Youden's J statistics were applied to determine the optimal survey score threshold for diagnosing hip OA.

RESULTS

The survey effectively distinguished hip osteoarthritis from other hip pathologies based upon cumulative score. ROC analysis identified a total score of ≥9 as the optimal threshold, maximizing sensitivity (83.3%) and specificity (55.9%) for diagnosing hip OA. The positive predictive value for this threshold was 78.6%. Additionally, higher total survey scores were significantly associated with the recommendation for THA.

CONCLUSION

This study demonstrates that a simple nine-item, patient-reported survey can reliably differentiate hip OA from other hip conditions and may assist in guiding treatment decisions. Implementing such tools in primary care, emergency medicine, and orthopedic settings could enhance early diagnosis and streamline referrals.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.