Racial disparities in utilization of specialist care and medications in inflammatory bowel disease.
OBJECTIVE
Optimization of medical therapy and specialist care for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may reduce morbidity. We sought to characterize racial disparities in utilization of healthcare and medical therapy for IBD.


METHODS
We performed a cross-sectional study of black (n=137) and white (n=149) IBD patients recruited from an outpatient IBD clinic and through medical record review and telephone interview, compared utilization of IBD specialist services, emergency department (ED) services, and medications. We adjusted racial comparisons for demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors.


RESULTS
After adjustment for confounders, blacks were less likely than whites to be under the regular care (defined as at least annual visit) of a gastroenterologist (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 0.43; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.25-0.75) or IBD specialist (aOR 0.37; 95% CI: 0.22-0.61). Follow-up with a primary care provider was, however, similar between blacks and whites. Over the preceding 12 months, blacks were more likely than whites to have at least one visit to the ED (aOR 2.02; 95% CI: 1.22-3.35), but there was no difference in hospitalization. Among CD patients with prolonged steroid use, blacks were less likely than whites to have been on infliximab (aOR 0.41; 95% CI: 0.21-0.77), but there were no racial differences in the use of immunomodulators (aOR 0.87; 95% CI: 0.48-1.60).


CONCLUSIONS
There are racial differences in utilization of IBD-related specialist services, ED visits, and infliximab that are independent of income and education. Modifiable barriers to health-care access may have a role in these disparities.
Nguyen
Geoffrey C
GC
Mount Sinai Hospital IBD Centre, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. geoff.nguyen@utoronto.ca
LaVeist
Thomas A
TA
Harris
Mary L
ML
Wang
Ming-Hsi
MH
Datta
Lisa W
LW
Brant
Steven R
SR
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015212:Inflammatory Bowel Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000628:therapy; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013038:Specialization; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D044465:White People