Are Hispanic patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage treated differently in border states than in nonborder states?

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Recent studies have found an underutilization of in-hospital procedures in treatments of Hispanic patients admitted with coronary artery disease in states along the US-Mexico border ("border states"). The purpose of this study was to determine any treatment disparities between patients treated for subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) in border and nonborder states and whether this disparity was associated with differential hospital charges. METHODS Using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, the authors retrieved data of Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients who were admitted in 2011 for SAH in a border state (California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas) or nonborder state (the remaining 46 US states). The authors determined the rates of use of endovascular coiling and surgical clipping treatments, hospital charges, and outcomes according to the patients' demographics and treatment in border or nonborder states. RESULTS In total, 18,368 patients were admitted with SAH in the selected time period, including 2310 Hispanic patients (12.6%). Of these patients, 1525 were admitted in a border state and 785 in a nonborder state. In border states, rates of surgical treatment significantly differed between patients of Hispanic (21.9%) and non-Hispanic (14.0%) origin (p = 0.02). In particular, Hispanic patients were more likely to undergo surgical clipping than were non-Hispanic patients. In the nonborder states, the rates of surgical treatment were similar for Hispanic and non-Hispanic patients (14.0% vs 15.6%, p = 0.6). Hispanic patients with SAH were billed significantly higher in-hospital charges in border states than in nonborder states ($219,260 and $192,418 [US dollars], respectively, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Use of surgical treatments for Hispanic patients with SAH residing in border states has a unique pattern, which significantly increases in-hospital charges in this patient population.

Sex and Racial Disparity in Outcome of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in the United States: A 20-Year Analysis

“…To our knowledge, this is the longest period of study of aSAH disparities. Hassan et al 22 analyzed trends in Hispanic patients during 2011 in border and non-border states, and found that geography was predictive of surgical treatment and cost following SAH. Attenello et al 14 found that Hispanic ethnicity and Medicaid payer status were associated with increased time to treatment following aneurysm rupture from 2002 to 2010, and Jaja found that socioeconomic status (SES) found that SES was associated with increased inpatient mortality risk in the United States.…”