Racial Disparities in Poverty Account for Mortality Differences in US Medicare Beneficiaries.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Kimmel PL
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4852486 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Background Racial/ethnic disparities in acute stroke care may impact stroke outcomes. We compared outcomes by race/ethnicity among elderly Medicare beneficiaries in hospitals participating in the FL-PR CReSD (Florida-Puerto Rico Collaboration to Reduce Stroke Disparities) registry with those in hospitals not participating in any quality improvement programs (non- QI ) in Florida and Puerto Rico (PR). Methods and Results The population included fee-for-service Medicare beneficiaries age 65+ in Florida and PR , discharged with primary diagnosis of ischemic stroke ( International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9-CM], codes 433, 434, 436) in 2010-2013. We used mixed logistic models to assess racial/ethnic differences in outcomes (in-hospital, 30-day, and 1-year mortality, and 30-day readmission) for CR e SD and non- QI hospitals, adjusted for demographic and clinical characteristics. The study included 62 CR e SD hospitals (N=44 013, 84% white, 9% black, 4% Florida Hispanic, 1% PR Hispanic) and 113 non- QI hospitals (N=14 422, 78% white, 7% black, 5% Florida Hispanic, 8% PR Hispanic). For patients treated at CR e SD hospitals, there were no differences in risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality by race/ethnicity; blacks had lower 30-day mortality versus whites (odds ratio, 0.86; 95% confidence interval, 0.77-0.97), but higher 30-day readmission (hazard ratio, 1.09; 1.00-1.18) and 1-year mortality (odds ratio, 1.13; 1.04-1.23); Florida Hispanics had lower 30-day readmission (hazard ratio, 0.87; 0.78-0.98). PR Hispanic and black stroke patients treated at non- QI hospitals had higher risk-adjusted in-hospital, 30-day and 1-year mortality, but similar 30-day readmission versus whites treated in non- QI hospitals. Conclusions Disparities in outcomes were less common in CR e SD than non- QI hospitals, suggesting the benefits of quality improvement programs, particularly those focusing on racial/ethnic disparities.
| S-EPMC6405703 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceThe association of the Hospital Readmission Reduction Program (HRRP) with reductions in racial disparities in 30-day outcomes for myocardial infarction (MI), is unknown, including whether this varies by HRRP hospital penalty status.ObjectiveTo assess temporal trends in 30-day readmission and mortality rates among black and nonblack patients discharged after hospitalization for acute MI at low-performing and high-performing hospitals, as defined by readmission penalty status after HRRP implementation.Design, setting, and participantsThis observational cohort analysis used data from the multicenter National Cardiovascular Data Registry Chest Pain-MI Registry centers that were subject to the first cycle of HRRP, between January 1, 2008, and November 30, 2016. All patients hospitalized with MI who were included in National Cardiovascular Data Registry Chest Pain-MI Registry were included in the analysis. Data were analyzed from April 2018 to September 2019.ExposuresHospital performance category and race (black compared with nonblack patients). Centers were classified as high performing or low performing based on the excess readmission ratio (predicted to expected 30-day risk adjusted readmission rate) for MI during the first HRRP cycle (in October 2012).Main outcomes and measuresThirty-day all-cause readmission and mortality rates.ResultsAmong 753 hospitals that treated 155 397 patients with acute MI (of whom 11 280 [7.3%] were black), 399 hospitals (53.0%) were high performing. Thirty-day readmission rates declined over time in both black and nonblack patients (annualized 30-day readmission rate: 17.9% vs 20.8%). Black (compared with nonblack) race was associated with higher unadjusted odds of 30-day readmission in both low-performing and high-performing centers (odds ratios: before HRRP: low-performing hospitals, 1.14 [95% CI, 1.03-1.26]; P = .01; high-performing hospitals, 1.17 [95% CI, 1.04-1.32]; P = .01; after HRRP: low-performing hospitals, 1.23 [95% CI, 1.13-1.34]; P < .001; high-performing hospitals, 1.25 [95% CI, 1.12-1.39]; P < .001). However, these racial differences were not significant after adjustment for patient characteristics. The 30-day mortality rates declined significantly over time in nonblack patients, with stable (nonsignificant) temporal trends among black patients. Adjusted associations between race and 30-day mortality showed that 30-day mortality rates were significantly lower among black (compared with nonblack) patients in the low-performing hospitals (odds ratios: pre-HRRP, 0.79 [95% CI, 0.63-0.97]; P = .03; post-HRRP, 0.80 [95% CI, 0.68-0.95]; P = .01) but not in high-performing hospitals. Finally, the association between race and 30-day outcomes did not vary after the HRRP period began in either high-performing or low-performing hospitals.Conclusions and relevanceIn this analysis, 30-day readmission rates among patients with MI declined over time for both black and nonblack patients. Differences in race-specific 30-day readmission rates persisted but appeared to be attributable to patient-level factors. The 30-day mortality rates have declined for nonblack patients and remained stable among black patients. Implementation of the HRRP was not associated with improvement or worsening of racial disparities in readmission and mortality rates.
| S-EPMC6990949 | biostudies-literature
Project description:There is extensive evidence suggesting that black men with localized prostate cancer (PCa) have worse cancer-specific mortality compared with their non-Hispanic white counterparts.To evaluate racial disparities in the use, quality of care, and outcomes of radical prostatectomy (RP) in elderly men (? 65 years) with nonmetastatic PCa.This retrospective analysis of outcomes stratified according to race (black vs non-Hispanic white) included 2020 elderly black patients (7.6%) and 24,462 elderly non-Hispanic white patients (92.4%) with localized PCa who underwent RP within the first year of PCa diagnosis in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)-Medicare database between 1992 and 2009. The study was performed in 2014.Process of care (ie, time to treatment, lymph node dissection), as well as outcome measures (ie, complications, emergency department visits, readmissions, PCa-specific and all-cause mortality, costs) were evaluated using Cox proportional hazards regression. Multivariable conditional logistic regression and quantile regression were used to study the association of racial disparities with process of care and outcome measures.The proportion of black patients with localized prostate cancer who underwent RP within 90 days was 59.4% vs 69.5% of non-Hispanic white patients (P <? 001). In quantile regression of the top 50% of patients, blacks had a 7-day treatment delay compared with non-Hispanic whites. (P <? 001). Black patients were less likely to undergo lymph node dissection (odds ratio [OR], 0.76 [95% CI, 0.66-0.80]; P < .001) but had higher odds of postoperative visits to the emergency department (within 30 days: OR, 1.48 [95% CI, 1.18-1.86]); after 30 days or more (OR, 1.45 [95% CI, 1.19-1.76]) and readmissions (within 30 days: OR, 1.28 [95% CI, 1.02-1.61]); ? 30 days (OR, 1.27 [95% CI, 1.07-1.51]) compared with non-Hispanic whites. The surgical treatment of black patients was associated with a higher incremental annual cost (the top 50% of blacks spent $1185.50 (95% CI , $804.85-1 $1566.10; P < .001) more than the top 50% of non-Hispanic whites). There was no difference in PCa-specific mortality (P = .16) or all-cause mortality (P = .64) between black and non-Hispanic white men.Blacks treated with RP for localized PCa are more likely to experience adverse events and incur higher costs compared with non-Hispanic white men; however, this does not translate into a difference in PCa-specific or all-cause mortality.
| S-EPMC5018381 | biostudies-literature
Project description:There is growing concern about the health of older US adults who live in rural areas, but little is known about how mortality has changed over time for low-income Medicare beneficiaries residing in rural areas compared with their urban counterparts. We evaluated whether all-cause mortality rates changed for rural and urban low-income Medicare beneficiaries dually enrolled in Medicaid, and we studied disparities between these groups. The study cohort included 11,737,006 unique dually enrolled Medicare beneficiaries. Between 2004 and 2017 all-cause mortality declined from 96.6 to 92.7 per 1,000 rural beneficiaries (relative percentage change: -4.0 percent). Among urban beneficiaries, declines in mortality were more pronounced (from 86.9 to 72.8 per 1,000 beneficiaries, a relative percentage change of -16.2 percent). The gap in mortality between rural and urban beneficiaries increased over time. Rural mortality rates were highest in East North Central states and increased modestly in West North Central states during the study period. Public health and policy efforts are urgently needed to improve the health of low-income older adults living in rural areas.
| S-EPMC8168613 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionSuicidality is higher for gender minorities than the general population, yet little is known about suicidality in disabled or older adult gender minorities.MethodsThis study used 2009-2014 Medicare claims to identify people with gender identity-related diagnosis codes (disabled, n=6,678; older adult, n=2,018) and compared their prevalence of suicidality with a 5% random non-gender minority beneficiary sample (disabled, n=535,801; older adult, n=1,700,008). Correlates of suicidality were assessed (via chi-square) for each of the 4 participant groups separately, and then disparities within eligibility status (disabled or older adult) were assessed using logistic regression models, adjusting first for age and mental health chronic conditions and then additionally for Medicaid eligibility, race/ethnicity, or U.S. region (each separately). The primary hypotheses were that gender minority beneficiaries would have higher suicidality but that suicidality disparities would persist after adjusting for covariates. Data were analyzed between 2017 and 2019.ResultsGender minority beneficiaries had higher unadjusted suicidality than non-gender minority beneficiaries in the disabled cohort (18.5% vs 7.1%, p<0.001). Significant suicidality predictors in all 4 groups included the following: age (except in older adult gender minorities), Medicaid eligibility, depression or behavioral health conditions, avoidable hospitalizations, and violence victimization. In age- and mental health-adjusted logistic regression models, gender minorities had higher odds of suicidality than non-gender minority beneficiaries (disabled, OR=1.95, p<0.0001; older adult, OR=2.10, p<0.0001). Disparities were not attenuated after adjusting for Medicaid eligibility, race/ethnicity, or region.ConclusionsHeightened suicidality among identified gender minority Medicare beneficiaries highlights a pressing need to identify and reduce barriers to wellness in this population.
| S-EPMC7246148 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThis study quantifies survival time after dementia diagnosis and assesses mechanisms driving differences across race/ethnicity to inform care and financial planning.MethodsUsing 100% Medicare claims data, we identified 670,955 beneficiaries with incident dementia diagnosis in 2001 and followed them through 2018. We quantified racial/ethnic differences in post-diagnosis survival and for subgroups defined by sex, age at diagnosis, socio-economic status, and geography. Additionally, we investigated racial/ethnic time trends in 5-year mortality risk of 8,080,098 beneficiaries with incident dementia in years 2001-2013.FindingsHispanics and Asians diagnosed with dementia had 40% lower mortality risk and African Americans had 13% lower mortality risk than Whites. There was no difference between American Indians/Alaska Natives and Whites. Racial/ethnic differences were of similar size in sex, age at diagnosis, and urban/rural subgroups; however, the survival advantage between non-Whites and Whites was larger among low-income beneficiaries. State differences in mortality among Blacks were consistent with a Southern divide but not for Asians and Hispanics. The Asian-White and Hispanic-White mortality differences decreased 2001 to 2013.InterpretationRacial/ethnic survival differences after dementia diagnosis have implications for magnitude of financial impact of dementia on individuals and families. Quantifying survival differences and changes over time informs family, community, and societal level long-term care planning for a large and growing population of persons living with dementia. Variation in the size of racial/ethnic differences by economic status and geographic location provides opportunities for targeted strategies to reduce economic consequences and improve care and quality of life after dementia diagnosis.
| S-EPMC9264371 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Racial disparities persist in the United States renal transplantation process. Previous studies suggest that the distance between a patient's residence and the transplant facility may associate with disparities in transplant waitlisting. We examined this possibility in a cohort study using data for incident, adult ESRD patients (1998 to 2002) from the ESRD Network 6, which includes Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. We linked data with the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) transplant registry through 2005 and with the 2000 U.S. Census geographic data. Of the 35,346 subjects included in the analysis, 12% were waitlisted, 57% were black, 50% were men, 20% were impoverished, 45% had diabetes as the primary etiology of ESRD, and 73% had two or more comorbidities. The median distance from patient residence to the nearest transplant center was 48 mi. After controlling for multiple covariates, distance from patient residence to transplant center did not predict placement on the transplant waitlist. In contrast, race, neighborhood poverty, gender, age, diabetes, hypertension, body mass index, albumin, and the use of erythropoietin at dialysis initiation was associated with waitlisting. As neighborhood poverty increased, the likelihood of waitlisting decreased for blacks compared with whites in each poverty category; in the poorest neighborhoods, blacks were 57% less likely to be waitlisted than whites. This study suggests that improving the allocation of kidneys may require a focus on poor communities.
| S-EPMC2689891 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is the most common indication for corneal transplant in the United States. The association between race/ethnicity and incidence of advanced FECD, defined by a need for endothelial or penetrating keratoplasty, has not been investigated.The 2014 US Medicare Limited Data Set (5% sample of 27?163?740 fee-for-service Medicare patients) was analyzed for rate of keratoplasty performed for FECD (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Edition code 371.57), stratified by race/ethnicity. Among all Medicare beneficiaries 65 years or older, a diagnosis code for FECD was used in 1.55% (95% CI, 1.51%-1.59%) of white and 1.38% (95% CI, 1.26%-1.50%) of African American beneficiaries who had an ophthalmologist eye examination in 2014 (P?=?.01). Among beneficiaries who obtained medical care for FECD, keratoplasty was 1.9 times more likely in white than African American patients (4.7%; 95% CI, 4.2%-5.2% vs 2.5%; 95% CI, 1.1%-3.9%; P?<?.001) among approximately 6500 patients undergoing 8420 procedures.In 2014, keratoplasty was 1.9 times more likely in US Medicare fee-for-service white patients than African American patients with FECD. This might be caused by racial/ethnic differences in the biology of FECD, access to care, or other unidentified factors.
| S-EPMC5225498 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundRisk for COVID-19 hospitalizations increases with increasing age and presence of underlying medical conditions. However, the burden has not been well-assessed in metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas by race/ethnicity among Medicare population with chronic conditions.MethodsWe used the 2020 Medicare data to estimate COVID-19 hospitalization rates by race/ethnicity among Medicare beneficiaries for COVID-19 by metropolitan status and to assess the association of hospitalizations from COVID-19 with each of selected 29 chronic conditions for patients by metropolitan status and by race/ethnicity.ResultsThe COVID-19 hospitalization rate was higher among beneficiaries residing in nonmetropolitan counties than those residing in metropolitan counties in 2020. Approximately 1 in 2 AI/AN, 1 in 3 NHB, Hispanic and A/PI, and 1 in 4 NHW beneficiaries with COVID-19 residing in nonmetropolitan counties were hospitalized. Beneficiaries with COVID-19 and chronic conditions were more likely to be hospitalized compared with those without chronic conditions.ConclusionsHospitalization rates among beneficiaries with COVID-19 and chronic conditions were not distributed equally by race/ethnicity and by metropolitan status. Researchers, policymakers and practitioners can use these findings to explore more effective ways of reducing racial/ethnic and geographic disparities among minorities disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and are at highest risk of hospitalization.
| S-EPMC8980106 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Differences in the control of blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose among the various racial and ethnic groups of Medicare enrollees may contribute to persistent disparities in health outcomes.Among elderly enrollees in Medicare Advantage health plans in 2011 who had hypertension (94,171 persons), cardiovascular disease (112,039), or diabetes (105,848), we compared the respective age-and-sex-adjusted proportions with blood pressure lower than 140/90 mm Hg, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels below 100 mg per deciliter (2.6 mmol per liter), and a glycated hemoglobin value of 9.0% or lower, according to race or ethnic group. Comparisons were made nationally and within regions and health plans, and changes since 2006 were assessed.Black enrollees in 2006 and 2011 were substantially less likely than white enrollees to have adequate control of blood pressure (adjusted absolute differences in proportions of enrollees in the 2 years, 7.9 percentage points and 10.3 percentage points, respectively), cholesterol (11.4 percentage points and 10.2 percentage points, respectively), and glycated hemoglobin (10.1 percentage points and 9.4 percentage points, respectively) (P<0.001 for all comparisons). Differing distributions of enrollees among health plans accounted for 39 to 59% of observed disparities in 2011. These differences persisted in 2011 in the Northeast, Midwest, and South (6.9 to 14.1 percentage points, P<0.001 for all comparisons) but were eliminated in the West for all three measures (<1.5 percentage points, P?0.15). Hispanic enrollees were less likely than whites in 2011 to have adequate control of blood pressure (adjusted difference, 1.6 percentage points), cholesterol (adjusted difference, 1.0 percentage points), and glycated hemoglobin (adjusted difference, 3.4 percentage points) (P?0.02 for all comparisons). Asians and Pacific Islanders were more likely than whites to have adequate control of blood pressure (difference, 4.4 percentage points; P<0.001) and cholesterol (5.5 percentage points, P<0.001) and had similar control of glycated hemoglobin (0.3 percentage points, P=0.63).Disparities in control of blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose have not improved nationally for blacks in Medicare Advantage plans, but these disparities were eliminated in the West in 2011. (Funded by the National Institute on Aging.).
| S-EPMC4381536 | biostudies-literature