title: The impact of race/ethnicity on preoperative time to hip stabilization procedure after hip fracture.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We sought to examine the preoperative time for hip stabilization procedure among Hispanics, non-Hispanic blacks (blacks) and non-Hispanic whites (whites).
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a secondary data analysis using Medicare claims data. Our analysis included 40,321 patients admitted for hip fracture hospitalization from 2001-2005. Our primary analysis was generalized linear modeling, and our dependent variable was preoperative time. Our independent variable was race/ethnicity (Hispanics, blacks versus whites), and covariates were age, gender, income, type of hip fracture and comorbidities.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bivariate analyses showed that both Hispanics and blacks experienced a longer preoperative time (P < 0.01). The average (mean) of days to surgery was 1.2 for whites, 1.6 for blacks and 1.7 for Hispanics. The delayed preoperative time among Hispanics and blacks persisted after adjusting for covariates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The delayed preoperative time among minorities suggests the need to closely monitor care among minorities with hip fracture to determine how to best address their developing needs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0460, USA. toghalai@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Tracy U
authors.initials: TU
authors.lastname: Nguyen-Oghalai
authors.forename: Yong-Fang
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Navkiran K
authors.initials: NK
authors.lastname: Shokar
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Grecula
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tincher
authors.forename: Kenneth J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Ottenbacher
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044383:Black People; D015897:Comorbidity; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006620:Hip Fractures / Q000601:surgery*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008913:Minority Groups; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D044465:White People; D001741:Black or African American