scholarly journals Community-level Economic Distress, Race, and Risk of Adverse Outcomes Following Heart Failure Hospitalization among Medicare Beneficiaries

Circulation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amgad Mentias ◽  
Milind Y. Desai ◽  
Mary S. Vaughan-Sarrazin ◽  
Shreya Rao ◽  
Alanna A. Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Adverse Outcomes ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Economic Distress ◽  
Black Patients ◽  
Hispanic Patients ◽  
Long Term Follow Up ◽  
White Patients

Background: Socioeconomic disadvantage is a strong determinant of adverse outcomes in patients with heart failure (HF). However, the contribution of community-level economic distress to adverse outcomes in HF may differ across races. Methods: Patients of self-reported Black, White, and Hispanic race/ethnicity hospitalized with HF between 2014 and 2019 were identified from the 100% CMS MedPAR database. We used patient-level residential zip code to quantify community-level economic distress based on the distressed community index (DCI, Quintile 5: economically distressed vs. Quintiles 1-4: non-distressed). The association of continuous and categorical measures (distressed vs. non-distressed) of DCI with 30-day, 6-month, and 1-year risk-adjusted mortality, readmission burden, and home time were assessed separately by race/ethnicity groups. Results: The study included 1,611,586 White (13.2% economically distressed), and 205,840 Black (50.6% economically distressed) and 89,199 Hispanic (27.3% economically distressed) patients. Among White patients, living in economically distressed (vs. non-distressed) communities was significantly associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes at 30-days and 1-year follow-up. Among Black and Hispanic patients, the risk of adverse outcomes associated with living in distressed vs. non-distressed communities was not meaningfully different at 30-days and became more prominent by 1-year follow-up. Similarly, in the restricted cubic spline analysis, a stronger and more graded association was observed between DCI score and risk of adverse outcomes in White patients (vs. Black and Hispanic patients). Furthermore, the association between community-level economic distress and risk of adverse outcomes for Black patients differed in rural vs. urban areas. Living in economically distressed communities was significantly associated with a higher risk of mortality and lower home time at 1-year follow-up in rural areas but not urban areas. Conclusions: The association between community-level economic distress and risk of adverse outcomes differs across race-ethnic groups, with a stronger association noted in White patients at short- and long-term follow-up. Among Black patients, the association of community-level economic distress with a higher risk of adverse outcomes is less evident in the short term and is more robust and significant in the long-term follow-up and rural areas.

An Academic-Community Collaboration to Deliver Medication Therapy Management (MTM) Services to Patients Living in Rural Counties of a Southwestern State in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 089719002110002
Author(s):  
David Rhys Axon ◽  
Melissa Johnson ◽  
Brittany Abeln ◽  
Stephanie Forbes ◽  
Elizabeth J. Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Program Effectiveness ◽  
Small Town ◽  
The United States ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Service Needs ◽  
Medication Therapy

Background: Patients living in rural communities often experience pronounced health disparities, have a higher prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, and poorer access to care compared to urban areas. To address these unmet healthcare service needs, an established, academic-based MTM provider created a novel, collaborative program to provide comprehensive, telephonic services to patients living in rural Arizona counties. Objective: This study assessed the program effectiveness and described differences in health process and outcome measures (e.g., clinical outcomes, gaps in care for prescribed medications, medication-related problems) between individuals residing in different rural-urban commuting area (RUCA) groups (urban, micropolitan, and small town) in rural Arizona counties. Methods: Subjects eligible for inclusion were 18 years or older with diabetes and/or hypertension, living in rural Arizona counties. Data were collected on: demographic characteristics, medical conditions, clinical values, gaps in care, medication-related problems (MRPs), and health promotion guidance. Subjects were analyzed using 3 intra-county RUCA levels (i.e., urban, micropolitan, and small town). Results: A total of 384 patients were included from: urban (36.7%), micropolitan (19.3%) and small town (44.0%) areas. Positive trends were observed for clinical values, gaps in care, and MRPs between initial and follow-up consultations. Urban dwellers had significantly lower average SBP values at follow-up than those from small towns (p < 0.05). A total of 192 MRPs were identified; 75.0% were resolved immediately or referred to providers and 16.7% were accepted by prescribers. Conclusion: This academic-community partnership highlights the benefits of innovative collaborative programs, such as this, for individuals living in underserved, rural areas.

Abstract P622: Racial Variation in White Matter Hyperintensity Progression in the ACCORDION MIND Study

Stroke ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 52 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison L Herman ◽  
Adam H De Havenon ◽  
Guido J Falcone ◽  
Shadi Yaghi ◽  
Shyam Prabhakaran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Systolic Blood Pressure ◽  
White Matter Hyperintensity ◽  
Diabetic Patients ◽  
Patient Race ◽  
Black Patients ◽  
The Mean ◽  
White Patients

Introduction: White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are linked to cognitive decline and stroke. We hypothesized that Black race would be associated with greater WMH progression in the ACCORDION MIND trial. Methods: The primary outcome is WMH progression in mL, evaluated by fitting linear regression to WMH volume on the month 80 MRI and including the WMH volume on the baseline MRI. The primary predictor is patient race, with the exclusion of patients defined as “other” race. We also derived predicted probabilities of our outcome for systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels. Results: We included 276 patients who completed the baseline and month 80 MRI, of which 207 were white, 48 Black, and 21 Hispanic. During follow-up, the mean number of SBP, LDL, and A1c measurements per patient was 21, 8, and 15. The mean (SD) WMH progression was 3.3 (5.4) mL for blacks, 2.5 (3.2) mL for Hispanics, and 2.4 (3.3) mL for whites. In the multivariate regression model (Table 1), Black, compared to white, patients had significantly more WMH progression (β Coefficient 1.26, 95% CI 0.45-2.06, p=0.002). Hispanic, compared to white, patients did not have significantly different WMH progression (p=0.392), nor was there a difference when comparing Hispanic to Black patients (p=0.162). The predicted WMH progression was significantly higher for Black compared to white patients across a mean SBP of 117 to 139 mm Hg (Figure 1). Conclusions: Black diabetic patients in ACCORDION MIND have a higher risk of WMH progression than white patients across a normal range of systolic blood pressure.

scholarly journals Inequities in Diabetic Ketoacidosis Among Patients With Type 1 Diabetes and COVID-19: Data From 52 US Clinical Centers

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Osagie Ebekozien ◽  
Shivani Agarwal ◽  
Nudrat Noor ◽  
Anastasia Albanese-O’Neill ◽  
Jenise C Wong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Type 1 Diabetes ◽  
Diabetic Ketoacidosis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Black Patients ◽  
Hispanic Patients ◽  
White Patients

Abstract Objective We examined whether diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious complication of type 1 diabetes (T1D) was more prevalent among Non-Hispanic (NH) Black and Hispanic patients with T1D and laboratory-confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared with NH Whites. Method This is a cross-sectional study of patients with T1D and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 from 52 clinical sites in the United States, data were collected from April to August 2020. We examined the distribution of patient factors and DKA events across NH White, NH Black, and Hispanic race/ethnicity groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the odds of DKA among NH Black and Hispanic patients with T1D as compared with NH White patients, adjusting for potential confounders, such as age, sex, insurance, and last glycated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level. Results We included 180 patients with T1D and laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 in the analysis. Forty-four percent (n = 79) were NH White, 31% (n = 55) NH Black, 26% (n = 46) Hispanic. NH Blacks and Hispanics had higher median HbA1c than Whites (%-points [IQR]: 11.7 [4.7], P &lt; 0.001, and 9.7 [3.1] vs 8.3 [2.4], P = 0.01, respectively). We found that more NH Black and Hispanic presented with DKA compared to Whites (55% and 33% vs 13%, P &lt; 0.001 and P = 0.008, respectively). After adjusting for potential confounders, NH Black patients continued to have greater odds of presenting with DKA compared with NH Whites (OR [95% CI]: 3.7 [1.4, 10.6]). Conclusion We found that among T1D patients with COVID-19 infection, NH Black patients were more likely to present in DKA compared with NH White patients. Our findings demonstrate additional risk among NH Black patients with T1D and COVID-19.

scholarly journals Inequities in Aortic Stenosis and Aortic Valve Replacement Between Black/African‐American, White, and Hispanic Residents of Maryland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Czarny ◽  
Rani K. Hasan ◽  
Wendy S. Post ◽  
Matthews Chacko ◽  
Stefano Schena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Aortic Valve ◽  
Aortic Valve Replacement ◽  
Valve Replacement ◽  
Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement ◽  
Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement ◽  
Black Race ◽  
Transcatheter Aortic Valve ◽  
Black Patients ◽  
Hispanic Patients ◽  
White Patients

Background Racial and ethnic inequities exist in surgical aortic valve replacement for aortic stenosis (AS), and early studies have suggested similar inequities in transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Methods and Results We performed a retrospective analysis of the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission inpatient data set from 2016 to 2018. Black patients had half the incidence of any inpatient AS diagnosis compared with White patients (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.50; 95% CI, 0.48–0.52; P <0.001) and Hispanic patients had one fourth the incidence compared with White patients (IRR, 0.25; 95% CI, 0.22–0.29; P <0.001). Conversely, the incidence of any inpatient mitral regurgitation diagnosis did not differ between White and Black patients (IRR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.97–1.03; P =0.97) but was significantly lower in Hispanic compared with White patients (IRR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.33–0.40; P <0.001). After multivariable adjustment, Black race was associated with a lower incidence of surgical aortic valve replacement (IRR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.55–0.82 P <0.001 relative to White race) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (IRR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65–0.90; P =0.002) among those with any inpatient diagnosis of AS. Hispanic patients had a similar rate of surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve replacement compared with White patients. Conclusions Hospitalization with any diagnosis of AS is less common in Black and Hispanic patients than in White patients. In hospitalized patients with AS, Black race is associated with a lower incidence of both surgical aortic valve replacement and transcatheter aortic valve replacement compared with White patients, whereas Hispanic patients have a similar incidence of both. The reasons for these inequities are likely multifactorial.

Follow-up of Children With Trait in a Rural Setting

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 876-877
Author(s):  
Herman Harris
Keyword(s):  
Sickle Cell ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Hb S ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Limited Testing

The Comprehensive Sickle Cell Centers were established in 1972 to test, educate, counsel, and research sickle cell anemia and related hemoglobinopathies. Standards and protocols for testing, education, and research were readily established because similar procedures and methods were already in operation at the institutions where the centers were located. The most difficult and still the most controversial program to provide is counseling. It became evident, early, that there is no universally accepted method for informing carriers of abnormal Hb S about their results. Centers located in large urban areas with a limited testing radius do not face the same problems as centers located in rural areas where the testing radius may cover an entire state or several states. Individual, or one-on-one, counseling of persons with trait results appears to be successful for urban centers where the individual may be called to the center and given information. But, in a rural setting, it is not feasible for the center to ask a person to travel 350 miles to be told he or she has nothing to worry about. And it is not cost-effective to send a caseworker 350 miles to say the same thing. It must, therefore, be concluded that each agency or center must adopt counseling methods that meet its specific needs. Each program must be flexible, imaginative, and creative and must successfully and accurately deliver information about being a carrier for the sickle gene or other hemoglobinopathy and its implication and significance for patients and their future offspring. To do this, we must first look at the problems facing us.

scholarly journals The Dynamic Impact of Nonprofit Organizations: Are Health-Related Nonprofit Organizations Associated with Improvements in Obesity at the Community Level?

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alyson Haslam ◽  
Rebecca Nesbit ◽  
Robert K. Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Nonprofit Organizations ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Community Level ◽  
Positive Health ◽  
Private Organizations ◽  
The Us ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Positive Health Outcomes

AbstractNonprofit organizations have the potential to influence public health by filling voids not filled by government or private organizations. Here we investigate whether the presence of health-related nonprofit organizations at the local community level helps to improve community-level obesity. This study used a time-series design using a random effects model to determine whether the entrance or exits of health nonprofits at the county level was associated with lower obesity rates in the US one and two years following the entrance or departures of nonprofits. The effect was small but significant in urban areas, with a smaller effect in rural areas. Our findings suggest that the presence of health nonprofits is associated with positive health outcomes, in this case obesity. The plausibility may be explained through the increased role nonprofits play in fostering social capital and increased promotion of health-related issues.

scholarly journals Medicare D Subsidies and Racial Disparities in Persistence and Adherence With Hormonal Therapy

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (36) ◽  
pp. 4398-4404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alana Biggers ◽  
Yushu Shi ◽  
John Charlson ◽  
Elizabeth C. Smith ◽  
Alicia J. Smallwood ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Black Women ◽  
Hormonal Therapy ◽  
Low Income ◽  
White Women ◽  
Hispanic Women ◽  
Ethnic Disparities ◽  
Black Patients ◽  
Hispanic Patients ◽  
White Patients

Purpose To investigate the role of out-of-pocket cost supports through the Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy on disparities in breast cancer hormonal therapy persistence and adherence by race or ethnicity. Methods A nationwide cohort of women age ≥ 65 years with a breast cancer operation between 2006 and 2007 and at least one prescription filled for oral breast cancer hormonal therapy was identified from all Medicare D enrollees. The association of race or ethnicity with nonpersistence (90 consecutive days with no claims for a hormonal therapy prescription) and nonadherence (medication possession rate < 80%) was examined. Survival analyses were used to account for potential differences in age, comorbidity, or intensity of other treatments. Results Among the 25,111 women in the study sample, 77% of the Hispanic and 70% of the black women received a subsidy compared with 21% of the white women. By 2 years, 69% of black and 70% of Hispanic patients were persistent compared with 61% of white patients. In adjusted analyses, patients in all three unsubsidized race or ethnicity groups had greater discontinuation than subsidized groups (white patients: hazard ratio [HR], 1.83; 95% CI, 1.70 to 1.95; black patients: HR, 2.09; 95% CI, 1.73 to 2.51; Hispanic patients: HR, 3.00; 95% CI, 2.37 to 3.89). Racial or ethnic persistence disparities that were present for unsubsidized patients were not present or reversed among subsidized patients. All three subsidized race or ethnicity groups also had higher adherence than all three unsubsidized groups, although with the smallest difference occurring in black women. Conclusion Receipt of a prescription subsidy was associated with substantially improved persistence to breast cancer hormonal therapy among white, black, and Hispanic women and lack of racial or ethnic disparities in persistence. Given high subsidy enrollment among black and Hispanic women, policies targeted at low-income patients have the potential to also substantially reduce racial and ethnic disparities.

scholarly journals Comparison of the clinical effect of intra-articular injection of platelet-rich plasma and methylprednisolone in primary osteoarthritis of knee: a randomized controlled trial

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 1842
Author(s):  
Darendrajit S. Longjam ◽  
Joy S. Akoijam ◽  
Meina S. Ahongshangbam ◽  
Nilachandra S. Longjam
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Platelet Rich Plasma ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Osteoarthritis Of The Knee ◽  
Womac Pain ◽  
Osteoarthritis Of Knee ◽  
Primary Osteoarthritis ◽  
Steroid Group

Background: Osteoarthritis of knee is one of the commonest musculoskeletal disorder causing mobility impairment affecting 3.3% in urban areas and 5.5% in rural areas. Intra-articular injection of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) delivers activated platelets that may reduce inflammation, provide pain relief, improve function and stimulate possible cartilage regeneration at the site of worn cartilage area of the knee.Methods: Eighty patients with primary osteoarthritis of the knee fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria were recruited in the study conducted in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, RIMS, Imphal from October 2014 to September 2017. Six ml of PRP prepared by conventional bench top centrifugation system was injected intra-articularly, two weeks apart in the PRP group. Steroid group received 80mg of methylprednisolone, two weeks apart by the same technique. The outcome variables (VAS and WOMAC score) were measured before starting intervention (baseline) and at 8 and 24-weeks post-intervention follow up.Results: Significant improvement seen in VAS, WOMAC-pain, stiffness and physical function and total scores in both the groups at 8- and 24-weeks follow-ups (p˂0.001). Steroid group showed better result than the PRP group in VAS (2.78±0.76 vs 3.58±1.03) and WOMAC-total (30.42±6.85 vs 36.25±10.87) scores at 8 weeks respectively (p˂0.001). But at 24 weeks follow-up, PRP showed significantly more effective than the steroid group in reducing pain (2.0±.0.87 vs 2.45±0.78) and disability (22.95±3.78 vs 25.25±6.67) respectively (p˂0.001).Conclusions: Intra-articular injection of methylprednisolone was found to be more effective in reducing pain and disability in primary knee osteoarthritis of KL grade 2 and 3 at the end of 8 weeks whereas 2 doses of PRP intra-articular injection 2 weeks apart was significantly more effective than methylprednisolone at the end of 24 weeks. However, the long-term benefit of PRP is to be determined by studies with a larger sample size and longer duration of follow-up.

scholarly journals Contemporary Reevaluation of Race and Ethnicity With Outcomes in Heart Failure

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel T. Savitz ◽  
Thomas Leong ◽  
Sue Hee Sung ◽  
Keane Lee ◽  
Jamal S. Rana ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Failure ◽  
Ejection Fraction ◽  
Pacific Islander ◽  
Left Ventricular Ejection ◽  
Asian Pacific Islander ◽  
Black Patients ◽  
Hispanic Patients ◽  
Race Ethnicity ◽  
Asian Pacific ◽  
White Patients

Background Variation in outcomes by race/ethnicity in adults with heart failure (HF) has been previously observed. Identifying factors contributing to these variations could help target interventions. We evaluated the association of race/ethnicity with HF outcomes and potentially contributing factors within a contemporary HF cohort. Methods and Results We identified members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California, a large integrated healthcare delivery system, who were diagnosed with HF between 2012 and 2016 and had at least 1 year of prior continuous membership and left ventricular ejection fraction data. We used Cox regression with time‐dependent covariates to evaluate the association of self‐identified race/ethnicity with HF or all‐cause hospitalization and all‐cause death, with backward selection for potential explanatory variables. Among 34 621 patients with HF, compared with White patients, Black patients had a higher rate of HF hospitalization (adjusted hazard ratio [HR], 1.28; 95% CI, 1.18–1.38) but a lower rate of death (adjusted HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.72–0.85). In contrast, Asian/Pacific Islander patients had similar rates of HF hospitalization, but lower rates of all‐cause hospitalization (adjusted HR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.85–0.93) and death (adjusted HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.69–0.80). Hispanic patients also had a lower rate of death (adjusted HR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80–0.91). Sensitivity analyses showed that effect sizes for Black patients were larger among patients with reduced ejection fraction. Conclusions In a contemporary and diverse population with HF, Black patients experienced a higher rate of HF hospitalization and a lower rate of death compared with White patients. In contrast, selected outcomes for Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic patients were more favorable compared with White patients. The observed differences were not explained by measured potentially modifiable factors, including pharmacological treatment. Future research is needed to identify explanatory mechanisms underlying ongoing racial/ethnic variation to target potential interventions.

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