Variation and Trends in Lower Extremity Amputation Rates in Los Angeles County Hospitals 2000-2010

Lower extremity amputation (LEA) is a preventable complication of diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. Hospital-related factors associated with higher LEA are low hospital LEA revascularization volume, rural setting, and nonteaching status. In this study, we describe LEA rates in health care systems and hospitals in Los Angeles County from 2000 to 2010. Data on hospital discharges in Los Angeles County from 2000 to 2010 were obtained from the California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development. LEA rates were adjusted for clinical and demographic variables including age, sex, race, source of health care payment, diabetes, and peripheral vascular disease. Adjusted LEA rates over the study period were analyzed by category of hospital (municipal, nonprofit/non-Kaiser, Kaiser, and private), and for changes in rates in each hospital over the study period. Over the 11-year study period the LEA rates increased for municipal hospitals, while decreasing for the other 3 categories of hospitals. Among the 84 hospitals included in the final analysis, 41 hospitals had higher than average relative risk for LEA in 2007-2010. Among these hospitals 12 had higher than average decline in LEA rate between 2000-2003 and 2007-2010. The other 29 hospitals had not lowered the LEA rate as much as the whole County over the study period. After adjusting for demographic and clinical variables, the relative risk for LEA among hospitals varied by 7.5-fold. Significant variability was found both within each of the 4 types of hospitals, and between the 4 types. Hospitals also varied in the degree that they lowered their LEA rates. This study demonstrated that health care systems and hospitals are associated with significant disparity in LEA rates among socioeconomic groups and geographical regions.