The impact of race/ethnicity on preoperative time to hip stabilization procedure after hip fracture.
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.
Nguyen-Oghalai
Tracy U
TU
Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sealy Center on Aging, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555-0460, USA. toghalai@yahoo.com
Kuo
Yong-Fang
YF
Wu
Helen
H
Shokar
Navkiran K
NK
Grecula
Michael
M
Tincher
Steven
S
Ottenbacher
Kenneth J
KJ
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