Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Utilization of Tonsillectomy among Medicaid-Insured Children. 2021

Phayvanh P Pecha, and Marshall Chew, and Anne L Andrews
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC. Electronic address: pechap@musc.edu.

To examine racial differences in tonsillectomy with or without adenoidectomy (T&A) for sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) among Medicaid-insured children. Retrospective analysis of the 2016 MarketScan Multistate Medicaid Database was performed for children ages 2 to <18 years with a diagnosis of SDB. Patients with medical complexity and infectious indications for surgery were excluded. Racial groups were categorized into non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and other. Adjusted multivariate logistic regression was used to determine if race/ethnicity was a significant predictor of obtaining T&A, polysomnography, and time to intervention. There were 83 613 patients with a diagnosis of SDB that met inclusion criteria, of which 49.2% were female with a mean age of 7.9 ± 3.8 years. The cohort consisted of White (49.2%), Black (30.0%), Hispanic (8.0%), and other (13.2%) groups. Overall, 15.4% underwent T&A. Black (82.2%) and Hispanic (82.3%) children had significantly higher rates of no intervention and White patients had the lowest rate of no intervention (76.9%; P < .0001) and the highest rate of T&A (18.7%; P < .0001). Mean time to surgery was shortest in White compared with Black children (P < .0001). Logistic regression adjusting for age and sex showed that Black children had 45% reduced odds of surgery (95% CI 0.53-0.58), Hispanic 38% (95% CI 0.58-0.68), and other 35% (95% CI 0.61-0.70) compared with White children with Medicaid insurance. Racial and ethnic disparities exist in the utilization of T&A for children with SDB enrolled in Medicaid. Future studies that investigate possible sources for these differences and more equitable care are warranted.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008484 Medicaid Federal program, created by Public Law 89-97, Title XIX, a 1965 amendment to the Social Security Act, administered by the states, that provides health care benefits to indigent and medically indigent persons. Dental Medicaid Program,Medical Assistance, Title 19,Dental Medicaid Programs,Medicaid Program, Dental,Medicaid Programs, Dental,Program, Dental Medicaid,Programs, Dental Medicaid
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D012189 Retrospective Studies Studies used to test etiologic hypotheses in which inferences about an exposure to putative causal factors are derived from data relating to characteristics of persons under study or to events or experiences in their past. The essential feature is that some of the persons under study have the disease or outcome of interest and their characteristics are compared with those of unaffected persons. Retrospective Study,Studies, Retrospective,Study, Retrospective
D014068 Tonsillectomy Surgical removal of a tonsil or tonsils. (Dorland, 28th ed) Tonsillectomies
D014481 United States A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D044469 Racial Groups Groups of individuals with similar physical appearances often reinforced by cultural, social and/or linguistic similarities. Continental Population Groups,Race,Racial Stocks,Continental Population Group,Group, Continental Population,Group, Racial,Groups, Continental Population,Groups, Racial,Population Group, Continental,Population Groups, Continental,Races,Racial Group,Racial Stock,Stock, Racial,Stocks, Racial
D054625 Healthcare Disparities Differences in access to or availability of medical facilities and services. Disparities, Healthcare,Health Care Disparities,Health Care Inequalities,Healthcare Disparity,Healthcare Inequalities,Disparities, Health Care,Disparity, Health Care,Disparity, Healthcare,Health Care Disparity,Health Care Inequality,Healthcare Inequality,Inequalities, Health Care,Inequalities, Healthcare,Inequality, Health Care,Inequality, Healthcare

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