Hospital Case-Volume and Patient Outcomes Following Pediatric Brain Tumor Surgery in the Pediatric Health Information System.

BACKGROUND: Markers of quality of care in various surgical specialties have been shown to correlate with hospital volumes. This study investigates the effect of hospital volume and patient-related factors on the outcomes of children undergoing brain tumor resection. METHODS: We examined the data within the Pediatric Health Information System (PHIS) for children aged zero to 17 years undergoing brain tumor resection between 2016 and 2020. Length of hospital stay (LOS), costs, and reoperation rates were analyzed for associations with hospital case-volume, patient factors, and other hospital-related factors. RESULTS: A total of 2568 patients were included in this PHIS analysis. After adjusting for covariates, care provided by high-case-volume hospitals led to shorter LOS (P = 0.01). The effect of hospital case-volume on median cost was present on univariate analysis (US $63,845 at low-volume hospital versus US $54,909 at high-volume hospital, P = 0.002); this finding was attenuated by LOS. A trend was observed between reoperation rates and hospital case-volume, with lowest quartile volume hospitals having higher odds of reoperation than hospitals with volumes in the highest quartile (P = 0.06). Racial and ethnic minorities, medical comorbidities, and other sociodemographic factors were associated with poorer outcomes following surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Centering care around high-case-volume hospitals can potentially lead to shorter hospital stays and decreased costs for children with brain tumors. This PHIS article highlights the association of the studied outcomes with certain sociodemographic factors and illustrates that inequalities in pediatric health care still exist. Further efforts are required to understand and eliminate these potentially harmful differences.

Characteristics associated with caregiver willingness to consider tonsillectomy for a child's obstructive sleep disordered breathing: Findings from a survey of families in an urban primary care network.

OBJECTIVE: Tonsillectomy use is lower among Black children than White children in the U.S. despite their higher prevalence of obstructive sleep disordered breathing (oSDB). We aimed to identify factors associated with parents' willingness to consider tonsillectomy for their child's oSDB and to identify whether parents of Black children are less willing than parents of non-Black children to be willing to consider the procedure. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Primary care network of a tertiary children's hospital. METHODS: We surveyed parents/guardians of children aged 2-10 years with oSDB, to assess their knowledge about oSDB and tonsillectomy, perceived severity of their child's oSDB, perceived level of their child's sleep disturbance, perceived risks and benefits of tonsillectomy, stress, trust in their child's primary care physician and physicians in general, and health literacy. We also assessed child clinical and sociodemographic characteristics. Associations between these characteristics and parent/guardian willingness to consider tonsillectomy for their child's oSDB were assessed. RESULTS: Of the 59 parents/guardians included, 90% were mothers and 71% were Black. Only 58% of caregivers of Black children but 85% of caregivers of non-Black children were willing to consider tonsillectomy (p = 0.04). Caregivers with another child who had undergone tonsillectomy and caregivers who perceived their child's sleep to be more disturbed were more often willing to consider tonsillectomy (both p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: Parents of Black children are less willing to consider tonsillectomy for their child's oSDB, but this was not explained by any factors assessed in this study. Future studies should evaluate additional factors that may explain this difference and that might be targeted to ensure appropriate and equitable access to tonsillectomy among children with oSDB.

Sociodemographic Differences in Care Plans and Time to Treatment Among Children Being Considered for Adenotonsillectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To assess sociodemographic differences in care plans and time to evaluation or treatment after otolaryngologic consultation among children with obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (oSDB). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Single tertiary children's hospital. METHODS: We included children aged 2 to 9 years with oSDB seen from June to December 2018 as new otolaryngology clinic patients. Logistic regression was used to examine whether sociodemographic factors were associated with having adenotonsillectomy or polysomnography planned at the end of the visit. Kaplan-Meier analyses and Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare times to these events. RESULTS: An overall 1020 children were included, of whom 65% were White and 18% were Black. Approximately 77% were metropolitan residents, 52% were publicly insured, and 88% of caregivers spoke primarily English. Treatment plans included adenotonsillectomy for 62% of patients, polysomnography for 15%, and new medication therapy for 13%. In multivariable analyses, there were no significant differences by child race/ethnicity, metropolitan/nonmetropolitan residence, type of health insurance, or caregiver primary language in the likelihood of having adenotonsillectomy or polysomnography planned. Among children for whom adenotonsillectomy was planned, children from metropolitan areas had greater times to surgery than children from nonmetropolitan areas (hazard ratio, 0.81 [95% CI, 0.66-0.99]; P = .04). This was explained by a difference between Black children from metropolitan areas and White children from nonmetropolitan areas (hazard ratio, 0.65 [95% CI, 0.49-0.86]; P = .003); there were no racial/ethnic differences in time to surgery among metropolitan-residing children (P = .09). CONCLUSIONS: After initial otolaryngology consultation, children with oSDB from metropolitan areas have longer times to adenotonsillectomy than those from nonmetropolitan areas.

Differences in Tonsillectomy Utilization by Race/Ethnicity, Type of Health Insurance, and Rurality.

OBJECTIVE: Tonsillectomy is one of the most common pediatric surgical procedures. In previous decades, large geographic variation and racial disparities in its use have been reported. We aimed to compare contemporary rates of pediatric tonsillectomy utilization in the United States by child race/ethnicity, type of health insurance, and metropolitan/nonmetropolitan residence. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study using the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases and State Inpatient Databases of 8 US states. We included all children aged <15 years who underwent tonsillectomy in 2013 to 2017. Annual population-level tonsillectomy rates across states and sociodemographic groups overall and by surgical indication were calculated using US Census data. Negative binomial regression models were used to compare rates between groups. RESULTS: In all states evaluated, tonsillectomy utilization was higher in non-Hispanic white children than non-Hispanic black or Hispanic children, higher in publicly insured than privately insured children, and higher in children residing in nonmetropolitan areas as compared to metropolitan areas (all P < .05). Tonsillectomy use was highest among white children from nonmetropolitan areas, both overall and for each indication (all P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Tonsillectomy utilization is higher in US children who are white, publicly insured, and who live in nonmetropolitan areas. Future research should identify multilevel factors, such as those at the patient, family, primary care provider, otolaryngologist, health care delivery system, interpersonal and community levels, that explain these differences in utilization in order to improve the appropriateness and equity of tonsillectomy use in children.

Effect of drug disposal bag provision on families' disposal of children's unused opioids.

OBJECTIVE: One strategy to combat opioid misuse is to remove excess opioids from circulation by providing patients with drug disposal products that enable the safe disposal of opioids. We aimed to evaluate opioid use and disposal of unused opioids among children and young adults before and after pharmacy staff at our institution began to provide patients and families filling opioid prescriptions with a drug disposal bag. METHODS: We performed a prospective pre-post cohort study of patients who filled an opioid prescription in May-August 2019 at the outpatient pharmacies of a large tertiary children's hospital. Patients and caregivers were enrolled at the time the opioids were dispensed. During the first half of the study period, standard opioid-related education was offered by pharmacy staff. During the second half of the study period, standard education was offered, and a drug disposal bag and instructions on its use were provided when the opioids were dispensed. A follow-up survey to assess opioid use and disposal was completed online or by telephone 4-7 weeks after the opioids were dispensed. RESULTS: A total of 215 participants were enrolled; 117 received a drug disposal bag and 98 did not. Of those, 68% of the participants completed a follow-up survey. In both groups, the median patient age was 11 years, and most patients had been prescribed opioids after a procedure. More than 70% had opioids leftover after they had stopped taking them, and this did not vary by group. However, among families with leftover opioids, the receipt of a drug disposal bag was associated with a higher likelihood of disposal of the unused opioids (71.7% vs. 52.1%, P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Providing a drug disposal bag to families of children receiving opioids increases the likelihood of excess opioid disposal. Greater availability of drug disposal products can complement prescribing reduction efforts aimed at decreasing prescription opioid misuse.