Project description:Racial disparities in care and outcomes contribute to mortality and morbidity in children; however, the role in pediatric Crohn's disease is unclear. In this study, we compared cohorts of black and white children with Crohn's disease to determine the extent race is associated with differences in readmissions, complications, and procedures among hospitalizations in the United States.Data were extracted from the Pediatric Health Information System (January 1, 2004-June 30, 2012) for patients with 21 years or younger hospitalized with a diagnosis of Crohn's disease. White and black cohorts were randomly selected in a 2:1 ratio by hospital. The primary outcome was time from index hospital discharge to readmission. The most frequent complications and procedures were evaluated by race.There were 4377 patients. Black children had a shorter time to first readmission and higher probability of readmission (P = 0.009) and a 16% increase in risk of readmission compared with white children (P = 0.01). Black children had longer length of stay and higher frequency of overall and late (30-d to 12-mo postdischarge) readmissions (P < 0.001). During index hospitalization, more black children had perianal disease and anemia (P < 0.001). During any hospitalization, black children had higher incidence of perianal disease, anemia, and vitamin D deficiency, and greater number of perianal procedures, endoscopies, and blood product transfusion (P < 0.001).There are differences in hospital readmissions, complications, and procedures among hospitalized children related to race. It is unclear whether these differences are due to genetic differences, worse intrinsic disease, adherence, access to treatment, or treatment disparities.
Project description:ObjectiveTo evaluate racial and ethnic disparities in the surgical management of ectopic pregnancy over time.DesignRetrospective cohort study.SettingNone.PatientsSurgically-managed cases of patients with tubal ectopic pregnancy within the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database between 2010 and 2019.InterventionsNone.Main outcome measuresSurgical approach (laparoscopic compared with open) and procedure (salpingectomy compared with salpingostomy/other).ResultsOf 7791 patients undergoing surgical management of tubal ectopic pregnancy, 21.8% identified as Hispanic, 24.5% as Black, 9.4% as Asian/other, and 44.3% as White. Use of laparoscopy increased 1.3% per year from 81.4% in 2010 to 91.0% in 2019 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.010-0.016). Odds of undergoing laparoscopic surgery were lower in Black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.52; 95% CI, 0.45-0.61) and Hispanic patients (aOR 0.52; 95% CI, 0.44-0.61) compared with White patients and remained similar over time. The use of salpingectomy increased by 1.1% per year from 80.6% in 2010 to 94.7% in 2019 (95% CI, 0.009-0.014). Odds of undergoing salpingectomy were higher among Black (aOR 1.78, 95% CI 1.43-2.23) and Hispanic patients (aOR 1.54; 95% CI, 1.24-1.93) and lower among Asian patients (aOR 0.73, 95% CI, 0.56-0.95) compared with White patients. These ratios remained similar for Black and Asian patients over time.ConclusionsDespite the increased use of laparoscopy and salpingectomy in the surgical management of ectopic pregnancy over time, Black and Hispanic patients remain less likely to undergo minimally invasive surgery and more likely to undergo salpingectomy compared with White patients.
Project description:Racial disparities in general surgical outcomes are known to exist but not well understood.To determine if black-white disparities in general surgery mortality for Medicare patients are attributable to poorer health status among blacks on admission or differences in the quality of care provided by the admitting hospitals.Matched cohort study using Tapered Multivariate Matching.All black elderly Medicare general surgical patients (N=18,861) and white-matched controls within the same 6 states or within the same 838 hospitals.Thirty-day mortality (primary); others include in-hospital mortality, failure-to-rescue, complications, length of stay, and readmissions.Matching on age, sex, year, state, and the exact same procedure, blacks had higher 30-day mortality (4.0% vs. 3.5%, P<0.01), in-hospital mortality (3.9% vs. 2.9%, P<0.0001), in-hospital complications (64.3% vs. 56.8% P<0.0001), and failure-to-rescue rates (6.1% vs. 5.1%, P<0.001), longer length of stay (7.2 vs. 5.8 d, P<0.0001), and more 30-day readmissions (15.0% vs. 12.5%, P<0.0001). Adding preoperative risk factors to the above match, there was no significant difference in mortality or failure-to-rescue, and all other outcome differences were small. Blacks matched to whites in the same hospital displayed no significant differences in mortality, failure-to-rescue, or readmissions.Black and white Medicare patients undergoing the same procedures with closely matched risk factors displayed similar mortality, suggesting that racial disparities in general surgical mortality are not because of differences in hospital quality. To reduce the observed disparities in surgical outcomes, the poorer health of blacks on presentation for surgery must be addressed.
Project description:BackgroundReports indicate that black patients have lower survival after the diagnosis of a poor prognosis cancer, compared with white patients. We explored the extent to which this disparity is attributable to the underuse of surgery.Study designUsing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program and Medicare database, we identified 57,364 patients, ages 65 years and older, with a new diagnosis of nonmetastatic liver, lung, pancreatic, and esophageal cancer, from 2000 to 2005. We evaluated racial differences in resection rates after adjustment for patient, tumor, and hospital characteristics using hierarchical logistic regression. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to assess racial differences in survival after adjusting for patient, tumor, and hospital characteristics, and receipt of surgery.ResultsCompared with white patients, black patients were less likely to undergo surgery for liver (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.49; 95% CI, 0.29-0.83), lung (aOR = 0.62; 95% CI, 0.56-0.69), pancreas (aOR = 0.53; 95% CI, 0.41-0.70), and esophagus cancers (aOR = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.42-0.99). Hospitals varied in their surgery rates among patients with potentially resectable disease. However, resection rates were consistently lower for black patients, regardless of the resection rate of the treating hospital. Although there were no racial differences in overall survival with liver and esophageal cancer, black patients experienced poorer survival for lung (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.05; 95% CI, 1.00-1.10) and pancreas cancer (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03-1.30). In both instances, there were no residual racial disparities in overall survival after adjusting for use of surgery.ConclusionsBlack patients are less likely to undergo surgery after diagnosis of a poor prognosis cancer. Our findings suggest that surgery is an important predictor of overall mortality, and that efforts to reduce racial disparities will require stakeholders to gain a better understanding of why elderly black patients are less likely to get to the operating room.
Project description:Using a US nationwide survey, we measured disparities in antimicrobial drug acquisition by race/ethnicity for 2014-2015. White persons reported twice as many antimicrobial drug prescription fills per capita as persons of other race/ethnicities. Characterizing antimicrobial drug use by demographic might improve antimicrobial drug stewardship and help address antimicrobial drug resistance.
Project description:PURPOSE OF REVIEW:Obesity rates in the USA have reached pandemic levels with one third of the population with obesity in 2015-2016 (39.8% of adults and 18.5% of youth). It is a major public health concern, and it is prudent to understand the factors which contribute. Racial and ethnic disparities are pronounced in both the prevalence and treatment of obesity and must be addressed in the efforts to combat obesity. RECENT FINDINGS:Disparities in prevalence of obesity in racial/ethnic minorities are apparent as early as the preschool years and factors including genetics, diet, physical activity, psychological factors, stress, income, and discrimination, among others, must be taken into consideration. A multidisciplinary team optimizes lifestyle and behavioral interventions, pharmacologic therapy, and access to bariatric surgery to develop the most beneficial and equitable treatment plans. The reviewed studies outline disparities that exist and the impact that race/ethnicity have on disease prevalence and treatment response. Higher prevalence and reduced treatment response to lifestyle, behavior, pharmacotherapy, and surgery, are observed in racial and ethnic minorities. Increased research, diagnosis, and access to treatment in the pediatric and adult populations of racial and ethnic minorities are proposed to combat the burgeoning obesity epidemic and to prevent increasing disparity.
Project description:Racial/ethnic minority groups have a disproportionate burden of kidney cancer. The objective of this study was to assess if race/ethnicity was associated with a longer surgical wait time (SWT) and upstaging in the pre-COVID-19 pandemic time with a special focus on Hispanic Americans (HAs) and American Indian/Alaska Natives (AIs/ANs). Medical records of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients who underwent nephrectomy between 2010 and 2020 were retrospectively reviewed (n = 489). Patients with a prior cancer diagnosis were excluded. SWT was defined as the date of diagnostic imaging examination to date of nephrectomy. Out of a total of 363 patients included, 34.2% were HAs and 8.3% were AIs/ANs. While 49.2% of HA patients experienced a longer SWT (≥90 days), 36.1% of Non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients experienced a longer SWT. Longer SWT had no statistically significant impact on tumor characteristics. Patients with public insurance coverage had increased odds of longer SWT (OR 2.89, 95% CI: 1.53-5.45). Public insurance coverage represented 66.1% HA and 70.0% AIs/ANs compared to 56.7% in NHWs. Compared to NHWs, HAs had higher odds for longer SWT in patients with early-stage RCC (OR, 2.38; 95% CI: 1.25-4.53). HAs (OR 2.24, 95% CI: 1.07-4.66) and AIs/ANs (OR 3.79, 95% CI: 1.32-10.88) had greater odds of upstaging compared to NHWs. While a delay in surgical care for early-stage RCC is safe in a general population, it may negatively impact high-risk populations, such as HAs who have a prolonged SWT or choose active surveillance.
Project description:BackgroundAlthough significant racial disparities in the surgical management of lower extremity critical limb threatening ischemia have been previously reported, data on disparities in lower extremity acute limb ischemia are lacking.MethodsThe 2012-2018 National Inpatient Sample was queried for all adult hospitalizations for acute limb ischemia (N = 225,180). Hospital-specific observed-to-expected rates of major lower extremity amputation were tabulated. Multivariable logistic and linear models were developed to assess the impact of race on amputation and revascularization.ResultsNonwhite race was associated with significantly increased odds of overall (adjusted odds ratio: 1.16, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.28) and primary (adjusted odds ratio: 1.34, 95% confidence interval 1.17-1.53) major amputation, decreased odds of revascularization (adjusted odds ratio 0.79, 95% confidence interval 0.73-0.85), but decreased in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio: 0.86, 95% confidence interval 0.74-0.99). The nonwhite group incurred increased adjusted index hospitalization costs (β: +$4,810, 95% confidence interval 3,280-6,350), length of stay (β: + 1.09 days, 95% confidence interval 0.70-1.48), and nonhome discharge (adjusted odds ratio: 1.15, 95% confidence interval 1.06-1.26).ConclusionSignificant racial disparities exist in the management of and outcomes of lower extremity acute limb ischemia despite correction for variations in hospital amputation practices and other relevant hospital and patient characteristics. Whether the etiology lies primarily in patient, institution, or healthcare provider-specific factors has not yet been determined. Further studies of race-based disparities in management and outcomes of acute limb ischemia are warranted to provide effective and equitable care to all.
Project description:ObjectiveTo determine the relationship between health status and the magnitude of black-white and Hispanic-white disparities in the likelihood of having any office-based or hospital outpatient department visits, as well as number of visits.Data source2010-2014 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey.Study designThe probability of having a visit is modeled using a Probit model, and the number of visits using a negative binomial model. We use a nonlinear rank-and-replace method to adjust minority health status to be comparable to that of whites, and predict utilization at different levels of health by fixing an indicator of health status. We compare estimated differences in predicted utilization across racial/ethnic groups for each level of health status to map out the relationship between the racial/ethnic disparity and health status, also stratifying by health insurance coverage.Extraction methodsWe subset to nonelderly adults.Principal findingsWe find that Hispanic-white differences in the probability of having an office-based or hospital outpatient department were widest among adults in excellent health (27 percentage points, 95% CI: [23, 31]) and narrowest when reporting poor or fair health (15 p.p. [13, 17]). Black-white and Hispanic-white differences in the number of visits were wider for adults who report poor or fair health (5.3 visits [4.0, 6.6] and 5.7 [4.3, 7.0], respectively) compared to excellent health (1.7 [1.2, 2.1] and 1.5 [1.1, 2.0], respectively) among adults who are full-year privately insured.ConclusionsThe magnitudes of racial/ethnic disparities vary with level of health.