ten Berg Paul W L, Ring David
Orthopaedic Hand and Upper Extremity Service, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
J Hand Surg Am. 2012 Jan;37(1):42-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2011.08.003. Epub 2011 Oct 19.
To determine factors associated with non-attendance at scheduled follow-up visits for treatment of metacarpal fractures, to improve subject retention in prospective investigations.
This study included adult patients with metacarpal fractures seen in an outpatient hand clinic between 2004 and 2009. We assessed a number of variables (demographic, social, and injury-specific) that might be associated with failure to return for follow-up. The statistical analysis included both bivariate and multivariable models.
In a cohort of 335 patients (228 men and 107 women) with a mean age of 40 years (range, 18-88 y), independent factors associated with non-attendance were unmarried status (single or divorced), having no insurance, having an unemployed or disabled status, having an unknown work status, and having a small finger metacarpal neck fracture.
Patients who do not attend a scheduled 1-month follow-up after a single isolated metacarpal fracture are sociologically distinct from those who do attend.
TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic IV.
确定与掌骨骨折治疗计划随访未就诊相关的因素，以提高前瞻性研究中的受试者保留率。
本研究纳入了2004年至2009年间在门诊手部诊所就诊的成年掌骨骨折患者。我们评估了一些可能与未返回进行随访相关的变量（人口统计学、社会和损伤特异性）。统计分析包括双变量和多变量模型。
在一个由335例患者（228例男性和107例女性）组成的队列中，平均年龄为40岁（范围18 - 88岁），与未就诊相关的独立因素为未婚状态（单身或离异）、无保险、失业或残疾状态、工作状态不明以及小指掌骨颈骨折。
单纯孤立性掌骨骨折后未按计划进行1个月随访的患者在社会学特征上与按时随访的患者不同。
研究类型/证据水平：预后性IV级。
