scholarly journals Health Care Disparity in Asthma-COPD Overlap Syndrome: Social Determinants for Readmission

Author(s):  
G.L. Day ◽  
N.J. Jackson ◽  
R.G. Buhr
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (03) ◽  
pp. 497-514
Author(s):  
Michael H. Andreae ◽  
Stephan R. Maman ◽  
Abrahm J. Behnam

Abstract Background Health care disparity persists despite vigorous countermeasures. Clinician performance is paramount for equitable care processes and outcomes. However, precise and valid individual performance measures remain elusive. Objectives We sought to develop a generalizable, rigorous, risk-adjusted metric for individual clinician performance (MIP) derived directly from the electronic medical record (EMR) to provide visual, personalized feedback. Methods We conceptualized MIP as risk responsiveness, i.e., administering an increasing number of interventions contingent on patient risk. We embedded MIP in a hierarchical statistical model, reflecting contemporary nested health care delivery. We tested MIP by investigating the adherence with prophylactic bundles to reduce the risk of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), retrieving PONV risk factors and prophylactic antiemetic interventions from the EMR. We explored the impact of social determinants of health on MIP. Results We extracted data from the EMR on 25,980 elective anesthesia cases performed at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center between June 3, 2018 and March 31, 2019. Limiting the data by anesthesia Current Procedural Terminology code and to complete cases with PONV risk and antiemetic interventions, we evaluated the performance of 83 anesthesia clinicians on 2,211 anesthesia cases. Our metric demonstrated considerable variance between clinicians in the adherence to risk-adjusted utilization of antiemetic interventions. Risk seemed to drive utilization only in few clinicians. We demonstrated the impact of social determinants of health on MIP, illustrating its utility for health science and disparity research. Conclusion The strength of our novel measure of individual clinician performance is its generalizability, as well as its intuitive graphical representation of risk-adjusted individual performance. However, accuracy, precision and validity, stability over time, sensitivity to system perturbations, and acceptance among clinicians remain to be evaluated.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
J China

Abstract Background Depression is one of the most common mental disorders worldwide and is a major contributor to the overall global burden of disease. The social determinants of age, gender and access to a primary health care physician have been identified as significant determinants of variability in the prevalence of depression. This research evaluates the association between depression and these social determinants in the city of Almada, in Portugal. Methods This cross-sectional study reports the one-month prevalence (December, 2015) of depression and its association with age, gender and access to a primary health care doctor in Almada's primary health care population. Data was collected from the 'Information System of the Regional Health Administration' (SIARS) database. The diagnostic tools used for the identification of cases were the ICPC-2 codes 'P76: Depressive Disorder' and 'P03: Feeling Depressed'. An odds ratio was applied as an association measure. Results Regarding gender and age: women are more likely to develop depression than men (OR 3.21) and the age group of 40-64 years is more likely to develop depression compared with other age groups (OR 2.21). The odds of being affected by depression for patients with a permanent primary health care physician, compared with users without a permanent primary health care physician, are higher (OR 2.24). Conclusions The patterns of association of age and gender, uncovered in this dataset, are consistent with previously reported findings for other Western countries. The association between depression and the assignment of a permanent primary health care doctor is highly significant. This finding suggests the existence of a higher detection rate of depression in patients with a permanent doctor and adds weight to the need to implement health policies that guarantee a primary health care physician for each patient. Key messages The age and gender gap in depression calls for stronger public health and intersectoral strategies to promote and protect mental health, in community-based settings. Reducing barriers and enhancing access to high-quality primary medical care must be a cornerstone of mental health policies.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003335492110267
Author(s):  
Candis M. Hunter ◽  
Simone W. Salandy ◽  
Jessica C. Smith ◽  
Chris Edens ◽  
Brian Hubbard

Objectives Racial and socioeconomic disparities in the incidence of Legionnaires’ disease have been documented for the past 2 decades; however, the social determinants of health (SDH) that contribute to these disparities are not well studied. The objective of this narrative review was to characterize SDH to inform efforts to reduce disparities in the incidence of Legionnaires’ disease. Methods We conducted a narrative review of articles published from January 1979 through October 2019 that focused on disparities in the incidence of Legionnaires’ disease and pneumonia (inclusive of bacterial pneumonia and/or community-acquired pneumonia) among adults and children (excluding articles that were limited to people aged <18 years). We identified 220 articles, of which 19 met our criteria: original research, published in English, and examined Legionnaires’ disease or pneumonia, health disparities, and SDH. We organized findings using the Healthy People 2030 SDH domains: economic stability, education access and quality, social and community context, health care access and quality, and neighborhood and built environment. Results Of the 19 articles reviewed, multiple articles examined disparities in incidence of Legionnaires’ disease and pneumonia related to economic stability/income (n = 13) and comorbidities (n = 10), and fewer articles incorporated SDH variables related to education (n = 3), social support (none), health care access (n = 1), and neighborhood and built environment (n = 6) in their analyses. Conclusions Neighborhood and built-environment factors such as housing, drinking water infrastructure, and pollutant exposures represent critical partnership and research opportunities. More research that incorporates SDH and multilevel, cross-sector interventions is needed to address disparities in Legionnaires’ disease incidence.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 175346662110374
Author(s):  
Dana Albon ◽  
Heather Bruschwein ◽  
Morgan Soper ◽  
Rhonda List ◽  
Deirdre Jennings ◽  
...  

Introduction: Outcomes in cystic fibrosis are influenced by multiple factors, including social determinants of health. Low socioeconomic status has been shown to be associated with lung function decline, increased exacerbation rates, increased health care utilization, and decreased survival in cystic fibrosis. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the US economy, placing people with cystic fibrosis at risk for negative impacts due to changes in social determinants of health. Methods: To characterize the impact of COVID-19-related changes in social determinants of health in the adult cystic fibrosis population, a social determinants of health questionnaire was designed and distributed to patients as part of a quality improvement project. Results: Of 132 patients contacted, 76 (57.6%) responses were received. Of these responses, 22 (28.9%) answered yes to at least one question that indicated an undesired change in social determinants of health. Patients with stable employment prior to COVID-19 were more likely to endorse undesired change in all domains of the questionnaire, and the undesired changes were most likely to be related to employment, insurance security, and access to medications. Patients receiving disability were more likely to report hardship related to utilities and food security compared with patients previously employed or unemployed. Of patients endorsing risk of socioeconomic hardship, 21 (95.5%) were contacted by a social worker and provided resources. Conclusion: Utilizing a social determinants of health questionnaire to screen for social instability in the context of COVID-19 is feasible and beneficial for patients with cystic fibrosis. Identifying social issues early during the pandemic and implementing processes to provide resources may help patients with cystic fibrosis mitigate social hardship and maintain access to health care and medications.


2018 ◽  
Vol 131 (4) ◽  
pp. 707-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amirhossein Moaddab ◽  
Gary A. Dildy ◽  
Haywood L. Brown ◽  
Zhoobin H. Bateni ◽  
Michael A. Belfort ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 895-899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph J Deferio ◽  
Scott Breitinger ◽  
Dhruv Khullar ◽  
Amit Sheth ◽  
Jyotishman Pathak

Abstract Social determinants of health (SDOH) are known to influence mental health outcomes, which are independent risk factors for poor health status and physical illness. Currently, however, existing SDOH data collection methods are ad hoc and inadequate, and SDOH data are not systematically included in clinical research or used to inform patient care. Social contextual data are rarely captured prospectively in a structured and comprehensive manner, leaving large knowledge gaps. Extraction methods are now being developed to facilitate the collection, standardization, and integration of SDOH data into electronic health records. If successful, these efforts may have implications for health equity, such as reducing disparities in access and outcomes. Broader use of surveys, natural language processing, and machine learning methods to harness SDOH may help researchers and clinical teams reduce barriers to mental health care.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew W. Kreuter ◽  
Tess Thompson ◽  
Amy McQueen ◽  
Rachel Garg

There has been an explosion of interest in addressing social needs in health care settings. Some efforts, such as screening patients for social needs and connecting them to needed social services, are already in widespread practice. These and other major investments from the health care sector hint at the potential for new multisector collaborations to address social determinants of health and individual social needs. This article discusses the rapidly growing body of research describing the links between social needs and health and the impact of social needs interventions on health improvement, utilization, and costs. We also identify gaps in the knowledge base and implementation challenges to be overcome. We conclude that complementary partnerships among the health care, public health, and social services sectors can build on current momentum to strengthen social safety net policies, modernize social services, and reshape resource allocation to address social determinants of health. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Public Health, Volume 42 is April 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.


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