Prescribing patterns of primary care physicians and otolaryngologists in the management of laryngeal disorders

Objective. To examine how primary care physicians (PCPs) and otolaryngologists use proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), antibiotics, antihistamines, oral and inhaled steroids, and histamine 2 antagonists in the treatment of laryngeal disorders. Study Design and Setting. Retrospective analysis of data from a large, national administrative US claims database. Subjects and Methods. Patients with laryngeal disorders based on ICD-9-CM codes from January 1, 2004, to December 31, 2008, seen as an outpatient by a PCP, otolaryngologist, or both and continuously enrolled for 12 months were included. Pharmacy claims, age, gender, geographic location, comorbid conditions, provider type, and laryngeal diagnosis were collected. Random-effects logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed. Results. Of approximately 55 million individuals, 135,973 had a laryngeal diagnosis, 12 months post-index date follow-up, and an outpatient encounter with a PCP, otolaryngologist, or both. Acute laryngitis was one of the most common reasons PCPs prescribed each medication class. Nonspecific dysphonia was the most common reason otolaryngologists prescribed each medication class. Patients seen by a PCP had a higher odds ratio for receiving an antibiotic and antihistamine, and patients seen by an otolaryngologist had a greater odds ratio for receiving a PPI and inhaled steroids. After adjusting for other variables in the model, the probability that a patient seen by a PCP would receive an antibiotic was .55 and a PPI .13. If seeing an otolaryngologist, it was .44 and .22, respectively. Conclusion. Differences exist regarding the prescribing patterns of PCPs and otolaryngologists in treating patients with laryngeal disorders.