Racial differences in treatment-seeking delays among heart failure patients.
BACKGROUND
Treatment-seeking delays for heart failure (HF) symptoms are significantly high. However, earlier studies did not closely examine race as a characteristic that could potentially influence delay times. The purpose of this study was (1) to describe racial differences in treatment-seeking delays for HF symptoms and (2) to identify racial differences in hospital readmission rates, functional status, and total length of stay.


RESULTS
A retrospective chart review of all patients admitted with HF at a Veterans Administration facility was conducted. The study sample consisted of 753 patients: 456 Caucasians (60.6%), 220 African Americans (29.2%), 41 Asians (5.4%), and 36 Hispanics (4.8%). The average prehospital delay time was 2.9 +/- 0.7 days. Mean delay times were significantly longer for African Americans than for Caucasians, Asians, and Hispanics (P =.019). African Americans also had significantly higher readmission rates (P =.001) and lower functional status (higher New York Heart Association functional class) (P =.034). There were no significant racial differences in total length of stay for HF admissions.


CONCLUSIONS
The current study supports that racial differences exist in treatment-seeking behaviors for HF symptoms, hospital readmission rates, and functional status. A better understanding of treatment-seeking behaviors of HF patients with different racial characteristics may be key to early recognition and prevention of complications in this high-risk population; it may be beneficial in identifying patients at risk for treatment delays and potentially poorer outcomes.
Evangelista
Lorraine S
LS
University of California, Los Angeles, School of Nursing, USA.
Dracup
Kathleen
K
Doering
Lynn V
LV
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010359:Patient Readmission; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000145:classification; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American