Health Care Disparities Research: Using the National Health Care Surveys Jane E. Sisk and Nancy Sonnenfeld AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting June 8, 2008 Division of Health Care Statistics National Center for Health Statistics Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Concept of Disparity Defining a disparity –lies along a causal pathway through which race/ethnicity affects health care or health –has roots in injustice Identifying a disparity differs from analyzing its causes *Hebert P, Sisk JE, Howell EA. Health Affairs 2008;

The National Health Care Surveys Physicians in offices Hospital emergency and outpatient departments Hospital inpatient departments Ambulatory surgery facilities Nursing homes Home and hospice care agencies Residential care facilities

Examples of Data Provider Organizations Setting Sources of revenue Ownership/staffing Technologies Electronic medical records Clinicians Specialty and training Visits Region Gender Race/ethnicity Patients Demographics, including race/ethnicity Medical conditions Continuity Vital signs Insurance status Residential zip code Clinical Management Medications Services provided/ordered Duration of visit Disease Management Counseling Disposition

New Patients Whom Physicians Were Not Accepting, /Trend is statistically significant (p<0.05). Source: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, Hing et al. National Health and Vital Statistics Series ; no 266

Difficulty Referring Patients For Specialty Consultation, Source: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, Hing et al. National Health and Vital Statistics Series ; no 266

Ambulatory Visits by Setting, 2005 Sources: National Ambulatory and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, Burt C. et al. Advance Data 2007;388. WhiteBlack/African-American Asian

Ambulatory Visits in Different Settings by Poverty in Patient Zip Code, Sources: National Ambulatory and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys, < 20% Poverty 20-29% Poverty 30-39% Poverty 40% or more Poverty

Emergency Department Waiting Times, *Chi-square test among categories; p < Significant differences remained after adjusting for age, gender, payment source, initial triage assessment, presenting complaint of chest pain, admitted, and ultimate ED diagnosis of AMI. Source: National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, Adapted from Wilper, et al. Health Affairs 2008(2):27:w84-95.

Appropriate Medication Therapy* Adult Visits with Atrial Fibrillation (AF) Excerpted from Ma J, et al. Arch Intern Med 2005;165: Prominent Measure Denominator Numerator Exclusions Antithrombotic AF visits AF visits with AF visits with GI therapy warfarin, bleeding, dicumarol, duodenitis, anisindione, alcoholism, drug or aspirin abuse, Alzheimer’s, gait abnormality, cerebral hemorrhage, seizure disorder, CNS tumors, renal insufficiency, or thrombocytopenia CNS = Central Nervous System *Guidelines from American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association/European Society of Cardiology

Appropriate Medication Therapy,* Percent of Visits Sources: National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, Excerpted from: Ma J, et al. Arch Intern Med 2005;165: Non-Hispanic MeasureWhite Black Hispanic No benzodiazepine for depression Antithrombotic therapy for AF Diuretic + β-blocker, HTN IC, asthma, adults ACE inhibitor, CHF32§ 45§20 IC, asthma, children β-blocker, CAD §significant differences AF= atrial fibrillationCHF = congestive heart failure HTN = hypertensionCAD = coronary artery disease ACE = angiotensin converting enzymeIC = inhaled corticosteroid

Hospitalizations For Diabetes Sources: National Hospital Discharge Survey, National Health Interview Survey Statistics computed by CDC/Division of Diabetes Translation,

Adult Vaccinations Nursing Home Residents, 2004 Source: 2004 National Nursing Home Survey

Methodological Challenges Encounter, not person-based Limited sample size Missing data Clustering

Recent Improvements Increase sample size –Community Health Centers, NAMCS from 2006 –Oncologists, NAMCS Expand providers covered –Ambulatory surgery facilities, 2006 Improve methods –Imputation of race/ethnicity, NAMCS, 2006 Add information on providers, patients, and care –Electronic medical records, NAMCS/NHAMCS, 2006 –Screening for cervical cancer, NAMCS/NHAMCS –Prior contacts, NHAMCS ED and NAMCS from 2006 –Cancer stage, radiation therapy, NAMCS Link to external data sets –National Nursing Home Survey linked to Medicare MDS files, 2004 –Patient ZIP linked to Census data on income, education, poverty levels, NAMCS/NHAMCS from 2006

Improvements Underway Laboratory results to be pilot tested, NAMCS, 2009 Routine coverage of ambulatory surgery in NHAMCS –Hospital-based facilities from 2009 –Free-standing facilities from 2010 Redesigned National Hospital Discharge Survey, Clinical depth (medications, tests) - Better race data - Resource use/billings/payments - Prior and later admissions - Added facility characteristics - Link to National Death Index National Survey of Residential Care Facilities, 2010 Update samples, NAMCS/NHAMCS, 2011 National Nursing Home Survey, 2011

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