Abstract
Background
The quality of care among young adults with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) may be related to biological sex, psycho-socio-cultural (gender) determinants or healthcare system-level factors.
Purpose
To examine whether sex, gender, and the type of healthcare system influence the quality of AMI care among young adults.
Methods
A total of 4,564 AMI young adults (<55 years) (59% women, 47 years, 66% US) were analyzed from the VIRGO and GENESIS-PRAXY studies consisting of single-payer (Canada, Spain) versus multipayer (US) systems. For each patient treated in each system we calculated a quality of care score (QCS) for pre-AMI (1-year pre admission), in-hospital, and post-AMI (1-year post discharge) phases of care (number of quality indicators received divided by the total number [range=0–100%], with higher scores indicating better quality). Ordinal logistic or linear regression models, and 2-way interactions between sex, gender and healthcare system were tested.
Results
Women in the multipayer system had the highest risk factor burden. Across the phases of care for AMI, 20% of quality indicators were missed in both sexes. High stress, earner status, and social support were associated with a higher QCS in the pre-AMI phase, whereas only employment and earner status were associated with QCS in all other phases. In the pre-AMI phase, women had higher QCS than men, mainly in the single-payer system (adjusted-OR=1.85, 95% CI 1.46,2.35 vs. 1.07, 95% CI 0.84,1.36, P-interaction= 0.002). Regardless of sex, only employment status had a greater effect in the multipayer system (adjusted-OR=0.59, 95% CI 0.44,0.78 vs 1.13, 95% CI 0.89,1.44, P-interaction <0.001). In the in-hospital phase, women had a lower QCS than men, especially in the multipayer system (adjusted-mean-difference: −2.48, 95% CI-3.87, −1.08). Employment was associated with a higher QCS (2.0, 95% CI 0.9–3.17, P-interaction >0.05). Finally, in the post-AMI phase, men and women had a lower QCS, predominantly in the multipayer system. However, primary earners had higher QCS regardless of system.
Conclusion
Sex, gender, and healthcare system affected the quality of care after AMI. Women had a poorer in-hospital than men and both women and men had suboptimal post-discharge care. Being unemployed lowered the quality of care, more so in the multipayer system.
Funding Acknowledgement
Type of funding source: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): Canadian Institutes of Health and Research (CIHR)
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