Propensity score analysis for health care disparities: a deweighting approach.

BACKGROUND: Propensity score weighting is a useful tool to make causal or unconfounded comparisons between groups. According to the definition by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), estimates of health care disparities should be adjusted for health-status factors but not for socioeconomic status (SES) variables. There have been attempts to use propensity score weighting to generate estimates that are concordant with IOM's definition. However, the existing propensity score methods do not preserve SES distributions in minority and majority groups unless SES variables are independent of health status variables. METHODS: The present study introduces a deweighting method that uses two types of propensity scores. One is a function of all covariates of health status and SES variables and is used to weight study subjects to adjust for them. The other is a function of only the SES variables and is used to deweight the subjects to preserve the original SES distributions. RESULTS: The procedure of deweighting is illustrated using a dataset from a right heart catheterization (RHC) study, where it was used to examine whether there was a disparity between black and white patients in receiving RHC. The empirical example provided promising evidence that the deweighting method successfully preserved the marginal SES distributions for both racial groups but balanced the conditional distributions of health status given SES. CONCLUSIONS: Deweighting is a promising tool for implementing the IOM-definition of health care disparities. The method is expected to be broadly applied to quantitative research on health care disparities.

Understanding the Association Between Social Determinants of Health and Receipt of Immunotherapy for Melanoma.

PURPOSE: In this review article, we sought to elucidate how the social determinants of health, including socioeconomic status, education, neighborhood or physical environment, access to healthcare, and race/ethnicity, affect the likelihood of receiving immunotherapy, a novel and expensive treatment for melanoma.  Methods: The PubMed database was queried up to May 2023, for studies pertaining to health disparities in melanoma, including studies examining the utilization of immunotherapy agents for the treatment of melanoma across various social determinants of health. RESULTS: Disparities in the utilization of immunotherapy exist across various social determinants. A total of 10 studies were found to report on disparities in receipt of immunotherapy. These studies reported an association between insurance status, education level, socioeconomic status, as well as proximity to a cancer research center, and a lower likelihood of receiving immunotherapy. CONCLUSION: As the number of novel immunotherapy drugs grows, it is important to understand the various disparities affecting the delivery of immunotherapy across social determinants. The findings from this study can help to drive public health policy aimed at addressing inequities in the treatment of melanoma as well as other cancers.    J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(5):311-315. doi:10.36849/JDD.7803.

Disparities in insurance status negatively affect patients with infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis.

PURPOSE: Infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) is suspected to have worse outcomes when length of illness prior to presentation is prolonged. Our objective was to evaluate how social determinants of health influence medical care and outcomes for babies with IHPS. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed over 10 years. Census data were used as proxy for socioeconomic status via Geo-Identification codes and correlated with food access and social vulnerability variables. The cohort was subdivided to understand the impact of Medicaid Managed Care (MMC). RESULTS: The cohort (279 cases) was divided into two groups; early group from 2011 to 2015 and late from 2016 to 2021. Cases in the late group were older at the time of presentation (41.5 vs. 36.5 days; p = 0.022) and presented later in the disease course (12.8 vs. 8.9 days; p = 0.021). There was no difference in race (p = 0.282), gender (p = 0.874), or length of stay. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who presented with IHPS after implementation of phased MMC were older, had a longer symptomatic course, and shorter pylorus measurements. Patients with public insurance after the implementation of MMC were more likely to follow-up with an outpatient pediatrician within a month of hospitalization. These results suggest that MMC may have improved access to care for infants with IHPS.

The landscape of inequalities in dementia across Europe: First insights from the INTERDEM taskforce.

BACKGROUND: Getting a diagnosis of dementia does not equate to equitable access to care. People with dementia and unpaid carers face many barriers to care, which can vary within, and across, different countries and cultures. With little evidence across different countries, the aim of this scoping exercise was to identify the different and similar types of inequalities in dementia across Europe, and provide recommendations for addressing these. METHODS: We conducted a brief online survey with INTERDEM and INTERDEM Academy members across Europe, and with members of Alzheimer Europe's European Working Group of People with Dementia and Carers in February and March 2023. Members were asked about whether inequalities in dementia care existed within their country; if yes, to highlight three key inequalities. Responses on barriers were coded into groups, and frequencies of inequalities were calculated. Highlighted inequalities were discussed and prioritised at face-to-face and virtual consensus meetings in England, Ireland, Italy, and Poland, involving people with dementia, unpaid carers, health and social care providers, and non-profit organisations. RESULTS: Forty-nine academics, PhD students, people with dementia and unpaid carers from 10 countries (Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Malta, Netherlands, UK) completed the survey. The most frequently identified inequalities focused on unawareness and lack of information, higher level system issues (i.e. lack of communication among care professionals), lack of service suitability, and stigma. Other barriers included workforce training and knowledge, financial costs, culture and language, lack of single-point-of-contact person, age, and living location/postcode lottery. There was general consensus among people living dementia and care providers of unawareness as a key barrier in different European countries, with varied priorities in Ireland depending on geographical location. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide a first insight on dementia inequalities across Europe, generate cross-country learnings on how to address these inequalities in dementia, and can underpin further solution-focused research that informs policy and key decision makers to implement changes.

Navigating geographical disparities: access to obstetric hospitals in maternity care deserts and across the United States.

BACKGROUND: Access to maternity care in the U.S. remains inequitable, impacting over two million women in maternity care "deserts." Living in these areas, exacerbated by hospital closures and workforce shortages, heightens the risks of pregnancy-related complications, particularly in rural regions. This study investigates travel distances and time to obstetric hospitals, emphasizing disparities faced by those in maternity care deserts and rural areas, while also exploring variances across races and ethnicities. METHODS: The research adopted a retrospective secondary data analysis, utilizing the American Hospital Association and Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Provider of Services Files to classify obstetric hospitals. The study population included census tract estimates of birthing individuals sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2017-2021 American Community Survey. Using ArcGIS Pro Network Analyst, drive time and distance calculations to the nearest obstetric hospital were conducted. Furthermore, Hot Spot Analysis was employed to identify areas displaying significant spatial clusters of high and low travel distances. RESULTS: The mean travel distance and time to the nearest obstetric facility was 8.3 miles and 14.1 minutes. The mean travel distance for maternity care deserts and rural counties was 28.1 and 17.3 miles, respectively. While birthing people living in rural maternity care deserts had the highest average travel distance overall (33.4 miles), those living in urban maternity care deserts also experienced inequities in travel distance (25.0 miles). States with hotspots indicating significantly higher travel distances included: Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska. Census tracts where the predominant race is American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) had the highest travel distance and time compared to those of all other predominant races/ethnicities. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed significant disparities in obstetric hospital access, especially affecting birthing individuals in maternity care deserts, rural counties, and communities predominantly composed of AIAN individuals, resulting in extended travel distances and times. To rectify these inequities, sustained investment in the obstetric workforce and implementation of innovative programs are imperative, specifically targeting improved access in maternity care deserts as a priority area within healthcare policy and practice.

Opportunity and accessibility: an environmental scan of publicly available data repositories to address disparities in healthcare decision-making.

BACKGROUND: Health disparities, starkly exposed and exacerbated by coronavirus disease 2019, pose a significant challenge to healthcare system access and health outcomes. Integrating health inequalities into health technology assessment calls for robust analytical methodologies utilizing disaggregated data to investigate and quantify the scope of these disparities. However, a comprehensive summary of population datasets that can be used for this purpose is lacking. The objective of this review was to identify publicly accessible health inequalities data repositories that are potential resources for healthcare decision-making and future health technology assessment submissions. METHODS: An environmental scan was conducted in June of 2023 of six international organizations (World Health Organization, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Eurostat, United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and World Bank) and 38 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. The official websites of 42 jurisdictions, excluding non-English websites and those lacking English translations, were reviewed. Screening and data extraction were performed by two reviewers for each data repository, including health indicators, determinants of health, and health inequality metrics. The results were narratively synthesized. RESULTS: The search identified only a limited number of country-level health inequalities data repositories. The World Health Organization Health Inequality Data Repository emerged as the most comprehensive source of health inequality data. Some country-level data repositories, such as Canada's Health Inequality Data Tool and England's Health Inequality Dashboard, offered rich local insights into determinants of health and numerous health status indicators, including mortality. Data repositories predominantly focused on determinants of health such as age, sex, social deprivation, and geography. CONCLUSION: Interactive interfaces featuring data exploration and visualization options across diverse patient populations can serve as valuable tools to address health disparities. The data they provide may help inform complex analytical methodologies that integrate health inequality considerations into healthcare decision-making. This may include assessing the feasibility of transporting health inequality data across borders.

Addressing Social Determinants in the Era of Precision Medicine in Breast Cancer: Is It Sufficient to Reduce Disparities?

The Oncotype DX (ODX) assay predicts recurrence risk and demonstrates the benefits of adjuvant therapy in patients with early-stage, hormone receptor (HR)-positive/HER2-negative breast cancer. ODX uptake varies by patients' racial/ethnic backgrounds and socioeconomic status (SES). However, community-level variability remains unknown, and research regarding the association between testing status and receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy is limited. To fill these knowledge gaps, Van Alsten and colleagues found a 6% lower prevalence of ODX uptake among patients residing in high SES-deprived areas than among those residing in low SES-deprived areas. Among patients with low and median ODX recurrence scores, those who underwent testing were 28% and 21% less likely to receive adjuvant chemotherapy than those who did not, respectively. The findings emphasize the role of social determinants of health. However, to further reduce or eliminate racial/ethnic disparities and SES inequities, we would need sufficient and effective multi-level approaches. These involve lower ODX testing costs, health insurance coverage expansion, re-classification and validation of ODX recurrence scores in patients of minority ancestry, and the development of a faster, more accurate, and affordable test. See related article by Van Alsten et al., p. 654.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Initiation of Direct Oral Anticoagulants Among Medicare Beneficiaries.

Importance: The influence of race and ethnicity on initiation of direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) is relatively understudied in Medicare data. Objective: To investigate disparities in the initiation of DOACs compared with warfarin by race, ethnicity, and social vulnerability. Design, Setting, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used a 50% sample of Medicare fee-for-service data from January 1, 2010, to December 31, 2019 (mean patient enrollment duration, 7.7 years). Analysis took place between January 2023 and February 2024. A cohort of older adults (aged ≥65 years) with atrial fibrillation who newly initiated warfarin or DOACs (dabigatran, rivaroxaban, apixaban, and edoxaban) was identified. Exposure: Patients were classified as non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and Hispanic. Main Outcomes and Measures: The likelihood of starting use of DOACs compared with warfarin was modeled, adjusting for race, ethnicity, age, sex, county-level social vulnerability, and other clinical factors. Results: Among 950 698 anticoagulation initiations, consisting of 680 974 DOAC users and 269 724 warfarin users (mean [SD] age, 78.5 [7.6] years; 52.6% female), 5.2% were Black, 4.3% were Hispanic, and 86.7% were White. During the 10-year study period, DOAC use increased for all demographic groups. After adjustment, compared with White patients, Black patients were 23% less likely (adjusted odds ratio [AOR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.75-0.79) and Hispanic patients were 13% less likely (AOR, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.85-0.89) to initiate DOAC use. Disparities in DOAC initiation were greatest among Black patients in the earlier years but attenuated during the study period. For instance, in 2010, the OR of Black patients initiating DOACs was 0.54 (95% CI, 0.50-0.57), attenuating linearly over time to 0.69 by 2013 (95% CI, 0.65-0.74) and 0.83 (95% CI, 0.78-0.89) by 2017. By 2019, these differences became nonsignificant (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.99-1.18). Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of Medicare patients with atrial fibrillation, Black and Hispanic patients were less likely to initiate DOACs for atrial fibrillation, although these differences diminished over time. Identifying the factors behind these early disparities is crucial for ensuring equitable access to novel therapies as they emerge for Black and Hispanic populations.

Breaking barriers: assessing the impact of clinical quality improvements on reducing health disparities in hypertension care among Mumbai's urban slums.

The clinical quality improvement initiatives, led by the organisation's Health Equity Working Group (HEWG), aim to support healthcare providers to provide equitable, quality hypertension care worldwide. After coordinating with the India team, we started monitoring the deidentified patient data collected through electronic health records between January and May 2021. After stratifying data by age, sex and residence location, the team found an average of 55.94% of our hypertensive patients control their blood pressure, with an inequity of 11.91% between male and female patients.The objective of this study was to assess the effectiveness of using clinical quality improvement to improve hypertension care in the limited-resourced, mobile healthcare setting in Mumbai slums. We used the model for improvement, developed by Associates in Process Improvement. After 9-month Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, the average hypertensive patients with controlled blood pressure improved from 55.94% to 89.86% at the endpoint of the initiative. The gender gap reduced significantly from 11.91% to 2.19%. We continued to monitor the blood pressure and found that the average hypertensive patients with controlled blood pressure remained stable at 89.23% and the gender gap slightly increased to 3.14%. Hypertensive patients have 6.43 times higher chance of having controlled blood pressure compared with the preintervention after the 9-month intervention (p<0.001).This paper discusses the efforts to improve hypertension care and reduce health inequities in Mumbai's urban slums. We highlighted the methods used to identify and bridge health inequity gaps and the testing of PDSA cycles to improve care quality and reduce disparities. Our findings have shown that clinical quality improvement initiatives and the PDSA cycle can successfully improve health outcomes and decrease gender disparity in the limited-resource setting.

Women Are Also Disadvantaged in Accessing Transplant Outside the United States: Analysis of the Spanish Liver Transplantation Registry.

Sex inequities in liver transplantation (LT) have been documented in several, mostly US-based, studies. Our aim was to describe sex-related differences in access to LT in a system with short waiting times. All adult patients registered in the RETH-Spanish Liver Transplant Registry (2000-2022) for LT were included. Baseline demographics, presence of hepatocellular carcinoma, cause and severity of liver disease, time on the waiting list (WL), access to transplantation, and reasons for removal from the WL were assessed. 14,385 patients were analysed (77% men, 56.2 ± 8.7 years). Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was reported for 5,475 patients (mean value: 16.6 ± 5.7). Women were less likely to receive a transplant than men (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.63, 0.97) with a trend to a higher risk of exclusion for deterioration (HR 1.17, 95% CI 0.99, 1.38), despite similar disease severity. Women waited longer on the WL (198.6 ± 338.9 vs. 173.3 ± 285.5 days, p < 0.001). Recently, women's risk of dropout has reduced, concomitantly with shorter WL times. Even in countries with short waiting times, women are disadvantaged in LT. Policies directed at optimizing the whole LT network should be encouraged to guarantee a fair and equal access of all patients to this life saving resource.

The impact of historical redlining on neurosurgeon distribution and reimbursement in modern neighborhoods.

Background: This study examines the lasting impact of historical redlining on contemporary neurosurgical care access, highlighting the need for equitable healthcare in historically marginalized communities. Objective: To investigate how redlining affects neurosurgeon distribution and reimbursement in U.S. neighborhoods, analyzing implications for healthcare access. Methods: An observational study was conducted using data from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) National File, Home Owner's Loan Corporation (HOLC) neighborhood grades, and demographic data to evaluate neurosurgical representation across 91 U.S. cities, categorized by HOLC Grades (A, B, C, D) and gentrification status. Results: Of the 257 neighborhoods, Grade A, B, C, and D neighborhoods comprised 5.40%, 18.80%, 45.8%, and 30.0% of the sample, respectively. Grade A, B, and C neighborhoods had more White and Asian residents and less Black residents compared to Grade D neighborhoods (p < 0.001). HOLC Grade A (OR = 4.37, 95%CI: 2.08, 9.16, p < 0.001), B (OR = 1.99, 95%CI: 1.18, 3.38, p = 0.011), and C (OR = 2.37, 95%CI: 1.57, 3.59, p < 0.001) neighborhoods were associated with a higher representation of neurosurgeons compared to Grade D neighborhoods. Reimbursement disparities were also apparent: neurosurgeons practicing in HOLC Grade D neighborhoods received significantly lower reimbursements than those in Grade A neighborhoods ($109,163.77 vs. $142,999.88, p < 0.001), Grade B neighborhoods ($109,163.77 vs. $131,459.02, p < 0.001), and Grade C neighborhoods ($109,163.77 vs. $129,070.733, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Historical redlining continues to shape access to highly specialized healthcare such as neurosurgery. Efforts to address these disparities must consider historical context and strive to achieve more equitable access to specialized care.

Disparities in Health Insurance Among Middle Eastern and North African American Children in the US.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate and compare the proportion of foreign-born Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) children without health insurance, public, or private insurance to foreign- and US-born White and US-born MENA children. METHODS: Using 2000 to 2018 National Health Interview Survey data (N = 311 961 children) and 2015 to 2019 American Community Survey data (n = 1 892 255 children), we ran multivariable logistic regression to test the association between region of birth among non-Hispanic White children (independent variable) and health insurance coverage types (dependent variables). RESULTS: In the NHIS and ACS, foreign-born MENA children had higher odds of being uninsured (NHIS OR = 1.50, 95%CI = 1.10-2.05; ACS OR = 2.11, 95%CI = 1.88-2.37) compared to US-born White children. In the ACS, foreign-born MENA children had 2.11 times higher odds (95%CI = 1.83-2.45) of being uninsured compared to US-born MENA children. CONCLUSION: Our findings have implications for the health status of foreign-born MENA children, who are currently more likely to be uninsured. Strategies such as interventions to increase health insurance enrollment, updating enrollment forms to capture race, ethnicity, and nativity can aid in identifying and monitoring key disparities among MENA children.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Mortality.

This cross-sectional study examines racial and ethnic differences in COVID-19 mortality in the United States across 4 case surges between February 2020 and September 2023.

[Regional inequalities in access to hospital birth in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: travel networks, distance, and time (2010-2019)]. / Desigualdades regionais no acesso ao parto hospitalar no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil: redes de deslocamento, distância e tempo (2010-2019).

Difficult access to birth care services is associated with infant and neonatal mortality and maternal morbidity and mortality. In this study, data from the Brazilian Unified National Health System (SUS) were used to map the evolution of geographic accessibility to hospital birth of usual risk in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, corresponding to 418,243 admissions in 2010-2011 and 2018-2019. Travel flows, distances traveled, and intermunicipal travel time between the pregnant women's municipality and hospital location were estimated. An increase from 15.9% to 21.5% was observed in the number of pregnant women who needed to travel. The distance traveled increased from 24.6 to 26km, and the travel time from 76.4 to 96.1 minutes, with high variation between Health Regions (HR). Pregnant women living in HR Central-South traveled more frequently (37.4-48.9%), and those living in the HRs Baía da Ilha Grande and Northwest traveled the largest distances (90.9-132.1km) and took more time to get to the hospital in 2018-2019 (96-137 minutes). The identification of municipalities that received pregnant women from many other municipalities and municipalities that treated a higher number of pregnant women (hubs and attraction poles, respectively) reflected the unavailability and disparities in access to services. Regional inequalities and reduced accessibility highlight the need to adapt supply to demand and review the distribution of birth care services in the state of Rio de Janeiro. This study contributes to research and planning on access to maternal and child health services and can be used as a reference study for other states in the country.

A dificuldade de acesso aos serviços de atenção ao parto está associada à mortalidade infantil e neonatal e à morbimortalidade materna. Neste estudo, dados do Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS) foram utilizados para mapear a evolução da acessibilidade geográfica ao parto hospitalar de risco habitual no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brasil, correspondentes a 418.243 internações nos biênios 2010-2011 e 2018-2019. Foram estimados os fluxos de deslocamento, as distâncias percorridas e o tempo de deslocamento intermunicipal entre o município de residência e de internação das gestantes. Houve um crescimento de 15,9% para 21,5% na proporção de gestantes que precisaram se deslocar. A distância percorrida aumentou de 24,6 para 26km, e o tempo de deslocamento de 76,4 para 96,1 minutos, com grande variação entre as Regiões de Saúde (RS). As gestantes residentes na RS Centro Sul se deslocaram mais frequentemente (37,4-48,9%), e as residentes nas RS Baía da Ilha Grande e Noroeste percorreram as maiores distâncias (90,9-132,1km) e levaram mais tempo para chegar ao hospital no último biênio (96-137 minutos). A identificação dos municípios que receberam gestantes de muitos outros municípios e daqueles que atenderam maior volume de gestantes (núcleos e polos de atração, respectivamente) refletiu a indisponibilidade e as disparidades no acesso aos serviços. As desigualdades regionais e a redução da acessibilidade alertam para a necessidade de adequar a oferta à demanda e de revisar a distribuição dos serviços de atenção ao parto no Rio de Janeiro. O estudo contribui para as pesquisas e o planejamento sobre o acesso a serviços de saúde materno-infantil, além de servir como referência para outros estados do país.

La dificultad para acceder a los servicios de atención al parto está asociada con la mortalidad infantil y neonatal, y con la morbimortalidad materna. En este estudio, se utilizaron datos del Sistema Único de Salud (SUS) para mapear la evolución de la accesibilidad geográfica al parto hospitalario de riesgo habitual en el estado de Río de Janeiro, Brasil, correspondiente a 418.243 hospitalizaciones en los bienios 2010-2011 y 2018-2019. Se estimaron los flujos de desplazamiento, las distancias recorridas y el tiempo de desplazamiento intermunicipal entre el municipio de residencia y la hospitalización de las mujeres embarazadas. Hubo un aumento del 15,9% al 21,5% en la proporción de mujeres embarazadas que necesitaron desplazarse. La distancia recorrida aumentó de 24,6 a 26km y el tiempo de desplazamiento de 76,4 a 96,1 minutos, con gran variación entre las Regiones de Salud (RS). Las mujeres embarazadas residentes en la RS Centro Sul se desplazaron con mayor frecuencia (37,4-48,9%), y las residentes en las RS Baía da Ilha Grande y Noroeste recorrieron las mayores distancias (90,9-132,1km) y tardaron más en llegar al hospital en el últimos bienio (96-137 minutos). La identificación de los municipios que recibieron mujeres embarazadas de muchos otros municipios y de aquellos que atendieron a un mayor volumen de mujeres embarazadas (núcleos y polos de atracción, respectivamente) reflejó la indisponibilidad y las disparidades en el acceso a los servicios. Las desigualdades regionales y la reducida accesibilidad alertan sobre la necesidad de adaptar la oferta a la demanda, y de revisar la distribución de los servicios de atención al parto en el estado de Rio de Janeiro. El estudio contribuye a las investigaciones y a la planificación sobre el acceso a los servicios de salud materno-infantil, y puede servir como referencia para otros estados del país.

Geospatial and Socioeconomic Disparities Influencing the Management of Craniosynostosis.

BACKGROUND: Various social determinants of health have been described as predictors of clinical outcomes for the craniosynostosis population. However, literature lacks a granular depiction of socioeconomic factors that impact these outcomes, and little is known about the relationship between patients' proximity to the care center and management of the condition. METHODS/DESIGN: This study retrospectively evaluated patients with craniosynostosis who presented to a tertiary children's hospital between 2000 and 2019. Outcomes of interest included age at presentation for surgery, incidence of reoperation, and length of follow-up. Patient addresses were geocoded and plotted on two separate shapefiles containing block group information within San Diego County. The shapefiles included percent parental educational attainment (bachelor's degree or higher) and median household income from 2010. The year 2010 was chosen for the shapefiles because it is the median year of data collection for this study. Multivariate linear, logistic, and polynomial regression models were used to analyze the relationship between geospatial and socioeconomic predictors and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: There were 574 patients with craniosynostosis included in this study. The mean ± SD Haversine distance from the patient's home coordinates to the hospital coordinates was 107.2 ± 321.2 miles. After adjusting for the suture fused and insurance coverage, there was a significant positive correlation between distance to the hospital and age at index surgery (P = 0.018). There was no correlation between distance and incidence of reoperation (P = 0.266) or distance and duration of follow-up (P = 0.369). Using the same statistical adjustments, lower parental percent educational attainment and lower median household income correlated with older age at index surgery (P = 0.008 and P = 0.0066, respectively) but were not correlated with reoperation (P = 0.986 and P = 0.813, respectively) or duration of follow-up (P = 0.107 and P = 0.984, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results offer evidence that living a greater distance from the hospital and socioeconomic disparities including parental education and median household income may serve as barriers to prompt recognition of diagnosis and timely care in this population. However, the geospatial and socioeconomic factors studied do not seem to hinder incidence of reoperation or length of follow-up, suggesting that, once care has been initiated, longitudinal outcomes may be less impacted.

Disparities in integrating non-invasive prenatal testing into antenatal healthcare in Australia: a survey of healthcare professionals.

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has been clinically available in Australia on a user-pays basis since 2012. There are numerous providers, with available tests ranging from targeted NIPT (only trisomies 21, 18, and 13 +/- sex chromosome aneuploidy) to genome-wide NIPT. While NIPT is being implemented in the public health care systems of other countries, in Australia, the implementation of NIPT has proceeded without public funding. The aim of this study was to investigate how NIPT has been integrated into antenatal care across Australia and reveal the successes and challenges in its implementation in this context. METHODS: An anonymous online survey was conducted from September to October 2022. Invitations to participate were sent to healthcare professionals (HCPs) involved in the provision of NIPT in Australia through professional society mailing lists and networks. Participants were asked questions on their knowledge of NIPT, delivery of NIPT, and post-test management of results. RESULTS: A total of 475 HCPs responded, comprising 232 (48.8%) obstetricians, 167 (35.2%) general practitioners, 32 (6.7%) midwives, and 44 (9.3%) genetic specialists. NIPT was most commonly offered as a first-tier test, with most HCPs (n = 279; 60.3%) offering it to patients as a choice between NIPT and combined first-trimester screening. Fifty-three percent (n = 245) of respondents always offered patients a choice between NIPT for the common autosomal trisomies and expanded (including genome-wide) NIPT. This choice was understood as supporting patient autonomy and informed consent. Cost was seen as a major barrier to access to NIPT, for both targeted and expanded tests. Equitable access, increasing time demands on HCPs, and staying up to date with advances were frequently reported as major challenges in delivering NIPT. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate substantial variation in the clinical implementation of NIPT in Australia, including in the offers of expanded screening options. After a decade of clinical use, Australian clinicians still report ongoing challenges in the clinical and equitable provision of NIPT.

Smoking, mortality, access to diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer in Brazil.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer (LC) is a relevant public health problem in Brazil and worldwide, given its high incidence and mortality. Thus, the objective of this study is to analyze the distribution of smoking and smoking status according to sociodemographic characteristics and disparities in access, treatment, and mortality due to LC in Brazil in 2013 and 2019. METHOD: Retrospective study of triangulation of national data sources: a) analysis of the distribution of smoking, based on the National Survey of Health (PNS); b) investigation of LC records via Hospital-based Cancer Registry (HCR); and c) distribution of mortality due to LC in the Mortality Information System (SIM). RESULTS: There was a decrease in the percentage of people who had never smoked from 2013 (68.5%) to 2019 (60.2%) and in smoking history (pack-years). This was observed to be greater in men, people of older age groups, and those with less education. Concerning patients registered in the HCR, entry into the healthcare service occurs at the age of 50, and only 19% have never smoked. While smokers in the population are mainly Mixed-race, patients in the HCR are primarily White. As for the initial stage (I and II), it is more common in White people and people who have never smoked. The mortality rate varied from 1.00 for people with higher education to 3.36 for people without education. Furthermore, White people have a mortality rate three times higher than that of Black and mixed-race people. CONCLUSION: This article highlighted relevant sociodemographic disparities in access to LC diagnosis, treatment, and mortality. Therefore, the recommendation is to strengthen the Population-Based Cancer Registry and develop and implement a nationwide LC screening strategy in Brazil since combined prevention and early diagnosis strategies work better in controlling mortality from the disease and continued investment in tobacco prevention and control policies.

Disparities in Patient Portal Engagement Among Patients With Hypertension Treated in Primary Care.

Importance: Patient portals are increasingly used for patient-clinician communication and to introduce interventions aimed at improving blood pressure control. Objective: To characterize patient portal use among patients with hypertension managed in primary care. Design, Settings, and Participants: This retrospective cohort study used electronic health records linked with patient portal log file data from a large, diverse Midwestern health care system. Patients with hypertension who had a primary care visit from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2021, were included. The first visit in 2021 was considered the baseline visit; patient portal engagement was evaluated during the following year. Multivariate logistic regressions, presented as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% CIs, were used to evaluate associations between patient characteristics and patient portal engagement, adjusting for potential confounders. Exposures: Primary exposures included 4 sociodemographic factors routinely collected in the electronic health record: race and ethnicity, insurance, preferred language, and smoking status. Main Outcomes and Measures: Indicators of patient engagement with the patient portal included accessing the patient portal at least once, accessing the portal within 7 days of at least 50.0% of primary care physician (PCP) visits, frequent logins (<28 vs ≥28), messaging (<2 vs ≥2), and sharing home blood pressure readings. Results: Among 366 871 patients (mean [SD], 63.5 [12.6] years), 52.8% were female, 3.4% were Asian, 7.8% were Hispanic, 19.7% were non-Hispanic Black, 66.9% were non-Hispanic White, and 2.3% were of other race or ethnicity. During the 1-year study period starting in 2021, 70.5% accessed the patient portal at least once, 60.2% accessed around the time of their PCP visits, 35.7% accessed the portal frequently, 28.9% engaged in messaging, and 8.7% shared home blood pressure readings. Compared with White patients, non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic patients had lower odds of any access (Black: OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.52-0.54; Hispanic: OR, 0.66; 95% CI, 0.64-0.68), access around PCP visit time (Black: OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.48-0.50; Hispanic: OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.60-0.64), frequent access (Black: OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.55-0.57; Hispanic: OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.69-0.73), and messaging (Black: OR, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.61-0.64); Hispanic: OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.69-0.73). Conclusions and Relevance: This cohort study of patients with hypertension found clear sociodemographic disparities in patient portal engagement among those treated in primary care. Without special efforts to engage patients with portals, interventions that use patient portals to target hypertension may exacerbate disparities.