INTRODUCTION The objective of this study was to examine the racial disparities in total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) utilization and outcomes. METHODS We used the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) to study the time-trends. Race was categorized as White and Black. Utilization rates were calculated for the U.S. general population per 100,000. Hospital length of stay, discharge disposition and mortali...

A key aim of U.S. health care reforms is to ensure equitable care while improving quality for all Americans. Limited race/ethnicity data in health care records hamper efforts to meet this goal. Despite improvements in access and quality, gaps persist, particularly among persons belonging to racial/ethnic minority and low-income groups. This study describes the use of indirect estimation methods...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to determine the utilization and live birth rates of assisted reproductive technology (ART) modalities among various racial and ethnic groups in recent years. METHODS We reviewed ART data reported to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies Clinic Outcome Reporting System (SART CORS) for autologous ART and third-party ART (3ART) cycles which ...

Marked underutilization rates of total joint arthroplasty in minorities compared with nonminorities exist, with a paucity of literature surrounding inequities related to total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Using the Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System database, patients who underwent elective TSA in New York State (NYS) were identified and characterized by age, race, gender, medic...

OBJECTIVES We compared health status, access to care, and utilization of medical services in the United States and Canada and compared disparities according to race, income, and immigrant status. METHODS We analyzed population-based data on 3505 Canadian and 5183 US adults from the Joint Canada/US Survey of Health. Controlling for gender, age, income, race, and immigrant status, we used logis...

Patients with limited English proficiency have known limitations accessing health care, but differences in hospital outcomes once access is obtained are unknown.We investigate inpatient mortality rates and obstetric trauma for self-reported speakers of English, Spanish, and languages of Asia and the Pacific Islands (API) and compare quality of care by language with patterns by race/ethnicity. D...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to determine the metabolic profile during the 2006 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. METHODS One recreational male triathlete completed the race in 10:40:16. Before the race, linear regression models were established from both laboratory and field measures to estimate energy expenditure and substrate utilization. The subject was provided ...

This highlight describes the characteristics and inpatient utilization of under age 65 disabled California Medicare beneficiaries by dual eligible status (i.e., Medicaid State buy-in coverage or not). More disabled dually eligible beneficiaries are younger, non-White, and in fee-for-service (FFS) than non-dually eligible beneficiaries. Disabled dually eligible beneficiaries experienced consiste...

The Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act (WHCRA) became federal law on January 1, 1999, mandating health care payer coverage for postmastectomy breast reconstruction. Despite passage of this legislation, breast reconstruction rates in the United States remain low. The Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database for mastectomy patients in 11 regions across the United States show o...

BACKGROUND Hospital associated infections are major problems, which are increasing in incidence and very costly. However, most research has focused only on measuring consequences associated with the initial hospitalization. We explored the long-term consequences of infections in elderly Medicare patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) and discharged alive, focusing on: sepsis, pneumon...