Comparison of Delay Times from Symptom Onset to Medical Contact in Blacks Versus Whites With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Healthcare Disparities in Cardiovascular Medicine

There are significant healthcare disparities in cardiovascular medicine that represent a challenge for cardiologists and healthcare policy-makers who wish to provide equitable care. Disparities exist in both the management and outcomes of hypertension, coronary artery disease and its sequelae, and heart failure. These disparities are present along the lines of race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Despite recent efforts to reduce disparity, there are knowledge and research gaps among cardiologists with regards to both the scope of the problem and how to solve it. Solutions include increasing awareness of disparities in cardiovascular health, increasing research for optimal treatment of underserved communities, and public policy changes that reduce disparities in social determinants of health.

Ethnic differences of the care pathway following an out-of-hospital cardiac event: A systematic review

AIM

This systematic review aimed to determine to what extent and why the care pathways for acute cardiac events in the community might differ for minoritised ethnic populations compared to non-minoritised populations. It also sought to identify the barriers and enablers that could influence variations in access to care for minoritised populations.

METHODS

A multi-database search was conducted for articles published between 1 January 2000 and 1 January 2023. A combination of MeSH terms and keywords was used. Inclusion criteria for papers were published in English, adult population, the primary health condition was an acute cardiac event, and the primary outcomes were disaggregated by ethnicity or race. A narrative review of extracted data was performed, and findings were reported according to the PRISMA 2020 guidelines.

RESULTS

Of the 3552 articles identified using the search strategy, 40 were deemed eligible for the review. Studies identified a range of variables in the care pathway that differed by ethnicity or race. These could be grouped as time to care, transportation, event related-variables, EMS interactions and symptoms. A meta-analysis was not performed due to heterogeneity across the studies.

CONCLUSION

The extent and reasons for differences in cardiac care pathways are considerable. There are several remediable barriers and enablers that require attention to achieve equitable access to care for minoritised populations.

Exploring the complexity and spectrum of racial/ethnic disparities in colon cancer management

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality across U.S. racial/ethnic groups. Existing studies often focus on a particular race/ethnicity or single domain within the care continuum. Granular exploration of disparities among different racial/ethnic groups across the entire colon cancer care continuum is needed. We aimed to characterize differences in colon cancer outcomes by race/ethnicity across each stage of the care continuum.

METHODS

We used the 2010-2017 National Cancer Database to examine differences in outcomes by race/ethnicity across six domains: clinical stage at presentation; timing of surgery; access to minimally invasive surgery; post-operative outcomes; utilization of chemotherapy; and cumulative incidence of death. Analysis was via multivariable logistic or median regression, with select demographics, hospital factors, and treatment details as covariates.

RESULTS

326,003 patients (49.6% female, 24.0% non-White, including 12.7% Black, 6.1% Hispanic/Spanish, 1.3% East Asian, 0.9% Southeast Asian, 0.4% South Asian, 0.3% AIAE, and 0.2% NHOPI) met inclusion criteria. Relative to non-Hispanic White patients: Southeast Asian (OR 1.39, p < 0.01), Hispanic/Spanish (OR 1.11 p < 0.01), and Black (OR 1.09, p < 0.01) patients had increased odds of presenting with advanced clinical stage. Southeast Asian (OR 1.37, p < 0.01), East Asian (OR 1.27, p = 0.05), Hispanic/Spanish (OR 1.05 p = 0.02), and Black (OR 1.05, p < 0.01) patients had increased odds of advanced pathologic stage. Black patients had increased odds of experiencing a surgical delay (OR 1.33, p < 0.01); receiving non-robotic surgery (OR 1.12, p < 0.01); having post-surgical complications (OR 1.29, p < 0.01); initiating chemotherapy more than 90 days post-surgery (OR 1.24, p < 0.01); and omitting chemotherapy altogether (OR 1.12, p = 0.05). Black patients had significantly higher cumulative incidence of death at every pathologic stage relative to non-Hispanic White patients when adjusting for non-modifiable patient factors (p < 0.05, all stages), but these differences were no longer statistically significant when also adjusting for modifiable factors such as insurance status and income.

CONCLUSIONS

Non-White patients disproportionately experience advanced stage at presentation. Disparities for Black patients are seen across the entire colon cancer care continuum. Targeted interventions may be appropriate for some groups; however, major system-level transformation is needed to address disparities experienced by Black patients.

Association of Race and Ethnicity With Oral Anticoagulation and Associated Outcomes in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation: Findings From the Get With The Guidelines-Atrial Fibrillation Registry

Importance

Oral anticoagulation (OAC) is underprescribed in underrepresented racial and ethnic group individuals with atrial fibrillation (AF). Little is known of how differential OAC prescribing relates to inequities in AF outcomes.

Objective

To compare OAC use at discharge and AF-related outcomes by race and ethnicity in the Get With The Guidelines-Atrial Fibrillation (GWTG-AFIB) registry.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This retrospective cohort analysis used data from the GWTG-AFIB registry, a national quality improvement initiative for hospitalized patients with AF. All registry patients hospitalized with AF from 2014 to 2020 were included in the study. Data were analyzed from November 2021 to July 2022.

Exposures

Self-reported race and ethnicity assessed in GWTG-AFIB registry.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The primary outcome was prescription of direct-acting OAC (DOAC) or warfarin at discharge. Secondary outcomes included cumulative 1-year incidence of ischemic stroke, major bleeding, and mortality postdischarge. Outcomes adjusted for patient demographic, clinical, and socioeconomic characteristics as well as hospital factors.

Results

Among 69 553 patients hospitalized with AF from 159 sites between 2014 and 2020, 863 (1.2%) were Asian, 5062 (7.3%) were Black, 4058 (5.8%) were Hispanic, and 59 570 (85.6%) were White. Overall, 34 113 (49.1%) were women; the median (IQR) age was 72 (63-80) years, and the median (IQR) CHA2DS2-VASc score (calculated as congestive heart failure, hypertension, age 75 years and older, diabetes, stroke or transient ischemic attack, vascular disease, age 65 to 74 years, and sex category) was 4 (2-5). At discharge, 56 385 patients (81.1%) were prescribed OAC therapy, including 41 760 (74.1%) receiving DOAC. OAC prescription at discharge was lowest in Hispanic patients (3010 [74.2%]), followed by Black patients (3935 [77.7%]) Asian patients (691 [80.1%]), and White patients (48 749 [81.8%]). Black patients were less likely than White patients to be discharged while taking any anticoagulant (adjusted odds ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.68-0.84) and DOACs (adjusted odds ratio, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.65-0.82). In 16 307 individuals with 1-year follow up data, bleeding risks (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.08; 95% CI, 1.53-2.83), stroke risks (aHR, 2.07; 95% CI, 1.34-3.20), and mortality risks (aHR, 1.22; 95% CI, 1.02-1.47) were higher in Black patients than White patients. Hispanic patients had higher stroke risk (aHR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.38-2.95) than White patients.

Conclusions and Relevance

In a national registry of hospitalized patients with AF, compared with White patients, Black patients were less likely to be discharged while taking anticoagulant therapy and DOACs in particular. Black and Hispanic patients had higher risk of stroke compared with White patients; Black patients had a higher risk of bleeding and mortality. There is an urgent need for interventions to achieve pharmacoequity in guideline-directed AF management to improve overall outcomes.

Disparities in Emergency Medical Services Care Delivery in the United States: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

Emergency medical services (EMS) often serve as the first medical contact for ill or injured patients, representing a critical access point to the health care delivery continuum. While a growing body of literature suggests inequities in care within hospitals and emergency departments, limited research has comprehensively explored disparities related to patient demographic characteristics in prehospital care.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to summarize the existing literature on disparities in prehospital care delivery for patients identifying as members of an underrepresented race, ethnicity, sex, gender, or sexual orientation group.

METHODS

We conducted a scoping review of peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed (gray) literature. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science, Proquest Dissertations, Scopus, Google, and professional websites for studies set in the U.S. between 1960 and 2021. Each abstract and full-text article was screened by two reviewers. Studies written in English that addressed the underrepresented groups of interest and investigated EMS-related encounters were included. Studies were excluded if a disparity was noted incidentally but was not a stated objective or discussed. Data extraction was conducted using a standardized electronic form. Results were summarized qualitatively using an inductive approach.

RESULTS

One hundred forty-five full-text articles from the peer-reviewed literature and two articles from the gray literature met inclusion criteria: 25 studies investigated sex/gender, 61 studies investigated race/ethnicity, and 58 studies investigated both. One study investigated sexual orientation. The most common health conditions evaluated were out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (n = 50), acute coronary syndrome (n = 36), and stroke (n = 31). The phases of EMS care investigated included access (n = 55), pre-arrival care (n = 46), diagnosis/treatment (n = 42), and response/transport (n = 40), with several studies covering multiple phases. Disparities were identified related to all phases of EMS care for underrepresented groups, including symptom recognition, pain management, and stroke identification. The gray literature identified public perceptions of EMS clinicians' cultural competency and the ability to appropriately care for transgender patients in the prehospital setting.

CONCLUSIONS

Existing research highlights health disparities in EMS care delivery throughout multiple health outcomes and phases of EMS care. Future research is needed to identify structured mechanisms to eliminate disparities, address clinician bias, and provide high-quality equitable care for all patient populations.

Establishing Validity of the Midlife Black Women's Stress-Reduction Wellness Program Materials Using a Mixed Methods Approach

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE

Content validation is an integral part of intervention development and should be established before initiation of trials. In collaboration with a community research advisory board, the objective of this study was to analyze expert ratings and qualitative feedback for the Midlife Black Women's Stress-Reduction Wellness (B-SWELL) intervention materials.

METHODS

The B-SWELL intervention is a culturally tailored 8-week intervention designed to lower cardiovascular disease risk in midlife Black women by leveraging stress reduction and promoting the adoption of the American Heart Association's Life's Simple 7 healthy lifestyle behaviors. Using a mixed methods approach, 12 experts consisting of midlife Black women (n = 6), researchers (n = 3), and integrative health specialists (n = 3) rated the B-SWELL materials for content accuracy, topic relevance, stress relevance, cultural appropriateness, feasibility, usefulness, ease of use, and appeal using a 5-point Likert scale (1, strongly disagree, to 5, strongly agree). Qualitative narrative data were integrated with the ratings.

RESULTS

Combined expert ratings for the B-SWELL materials were high (range, 4.43-4.66). Group ratings differed, with midlife Black women having the highest mean ratings for both the individual B-SWELL modules and the overall binder (4.71 and 4.97, respectively), followed by researchers (4.56 and 4.73, respectively) and integrative health specialists (4.11 and 4.40, respectively). Qualitative data provided insight into deficiencies, supporting refinements of the B-SWELL materials.

CONCLUSIONS

The B-SWELL materials exhibited strong evidence of content and face validity. Researchers and clinicians are encouraged to establish content validity before implementation of culturally appropriate interventions aimed at high-risk populations.

Race and Ethnicity Considerations in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease and Stroke: JACC Focus Seminar 3/9

Notable racial and ethnic differences and disparities exist in coronary artery disease (CAD) and stroke epidemiology and outcomes despite substantial advances in these fields. Racial and ethnic minority subgroups remain underrepresented in population data and clinical trials contributing to incomplete understanding of these disparities. Differences in traditional cardiovascular risk factors such as hypertension and diabetes play a role; however, disparities in care provision and process, social determinants of health including socioeconomic position, neighborhood environment, sociocultural factors, and racial discrimination within and outside of the health care system also drive racial and ethnic CAD and stroke disparities. Improved culturally congruent and competent communication about risk factors and symptoms is also needed. Opportunities to achieve improved and equitable outcomes in CAD and stroke must be identified and pursued.

Community Intervention System: COVID-19 Control in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China

The COVID-19 epidemic has caused giant influences on people’s life, and China’s communities play an important role in dealing with these major public health events (MPHEs). Community as the grassroots autonomous organization has various significant functions in intervening in MPHEs. The community intervention follows a system which directly influences the anti-epidemic effectiveness. To explore the mechanism, we devise a theoretical system for community intervention, mainly consisting of “organizational structure”, “functional performance” and “internal and external connections”. Questionnaire surveys, the chi-square test, the independent sample T-test, and principal component analysis are used to identify the characteristics of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region’s (Inner Mongolia) community intervention. Through the empirical research, it is verified that the community intervention in MPHEs is the combination of “the structural response of the organization”, “the performance of the community’s own function”, and “the establishment of internal and external connections”. The central Inner Mongolia delivers the best performance in community intervention compared to eastern Inner Mongolia and western Inner Mongolia. The urban communities commonly perform better than that in the agricultural and pastoral areas. The built system and findings could provide a guidance for future community to improve its intervention capability.

Hospital healthcare flows: A longitudinal clustering approach of acute coronary syndrome in women over 45 years

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) in women is a growing public health issue and a death leading cause. We explored whether the hospital healthcare trajectory was characterizable using a longitudinal clustering approach in women with ACS. From the 2009-2014 French nationwide hospital database, we extracted spatio-temporal patterns in ACS patient trajectories, by replacing the spatiality by their hospitalization cause. We used these patterns to characterize hospital healthcare flows in a visualization tool. We clustered these trajectories with kmlShape to identify time gap and tariff profiles. ACS hospital healthcare flows have three key categories: Angina pectoris, Myocardial Infarction or Ischemia. Elderly flows were more complex. Time gap profiles showed that readmissions were closer together as time goes by. Tariff profiles were different according to age and initial event. Our approach might be applied to monitoring other chronic diseases. Further work is needed to integrate these results into a medical decision-making tool.

The impact of Community intervention on the time from Symptom onset to first medical contact with acute coronary syndrome

OBJECTIVE

Patient delay in the recognition of and response to the symptoms of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) is a worldwide problem. A community education program about chest pain was implemented in China, and was aimed at providing better community intervention. In this study, the impact of this program on the time of symptom onset to the first medical contact (SO-to-FMC) in ACS patients was investigated, as was the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE) in these patients.

METHODS

A total of 10 local communities were included in this study. A 9-month intensive community education program about chest pain was conducted in these communities. The data on the demographics, mode of transportation, procedures, clinical outcomes, and discharge diagnoses of all ACS patients in these communities were collected.

RESULTS

The study communities had a combined population of 361,609, and all community population sizes ranged from 12,823 to 66,127. The average SO-to-FMC time of the control period was 510 min, whereas, following community intervention, the average SO-to-FMC time was 256 min (P <  0.001). Furthermore, comparative analyses revealed that, following discharge from the hospital, the 1.5-year MACCE-free survival rate was higher in the community intervention group than in the control group (95.0 % vs. 90.5 %, P =  0.025), and the 1.5-year mortality rate was lower in the community intervention group than in the control group (3.3 % vs. 6.3 %, P =  0.03).

CONCLUSIONS AND PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The Hangzhou Chest Pain Science Education Project(HCPSEP) was found to reduce the SO-to-FMC time and improve the outcome of ACS patients. This indicates that a scientific, educational program on chest pain can be effective in improving the knowledge and alertness of the local residents about chest pain. This type of program may be recognized and carried out in other regions.

Variation and Disparities in Awareness of Myocardial Infarction Symptoms Among Adults in the United States

IMPORTANCE

Prompt recognition of myocardial infarction symptoms is critical for timely access to lifesaving emergency cardiac care. However, patients with myocardial infarction continue to have a delayed presentation to the hospital.

OBJECTIVE

To understand the variation and disparities in awareness of myocardial infarction symptoms among adults in the United States.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study used data from the 2017 National Health Interview Survey among adult residents of the United States, assessing awareness of the 5 following common myocardial infarction symptoms among different sociodemographic subgroups: (1) chest pain or discomfort, (2) shortness of breath, (3) pain or discomfort in arms or shoulders, (4) feeling weak, lightheaded, or faint, and (5) jaw, neck, or back pain. The response to a perceived myocardial infarction (ie, calling emergency medical services vs other) was also assessed.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Prevalence and characteristics of individuals who were unaware of myocardial infarction symptoms and/or chose not to call emergency medical services in response to these symptoms.

RESULTS

Among 25 271 individuals (13 820 women [51.6%; 95% CI, 50.8%-52.4%]; 17 910 non-Hispanic white individuals [69.9%; 95% CI, 68.2%-71.6%]; and 21 826 individuals [82.7%; 95% CI, 81.5%-83.8%] born in the United States), 23 383 (91.8%; 95% CI, 91.0%-92.6%) considered chest pain or discomfort a symptom of myocardial infarction; 22 158 (87.0%; 95% CI, 86.1%-87.8%) considered shortness of breath a symptom; 22 064 (85.7%; 95% CI, 84.8%-86.5%) considered pain or discomfort in arm a symptom; 19 760 (77.0%; 95% CI, 76.1%-77.9%) considered feeling weak, lightheaded, or faint a symptom; and 16 567 (62.6%; 95% CI, 61.6%-63.7%) considered jaw, neck, or back pain a symptom. Overall, 14 075 adults (53.0%; 95% CI, 51.9%-54.1%) were aware of all 5 symptoms, whereas 4698 (20.3%; 95% CI, 19.4%-21.3%) were not aware of the 3 most common symptoms and 1295 (5.8%; 95% CI, 5.2%-6.4%) were not aware of any symptoms. Not being aware of any symptoms was associated with male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.23; 95% CI, 1.05-1.44; P = .01), Hispanic ethnicity (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 1.47-2.43; P < .001), not having been born in the United States (OR, 1.85; 95% CI, 1.47-2.33; P < .001), and having a lower education level (OR, 1.31; 95% CI, 1.09-1.58; P = .004). Among 294 non-Hispanic black or Hispanic individuals who were not born in the United States, belonged to the low-income or lowest-income subgroup, were uninsured, and had a lower education level, 61 (17.9%; 95% CI, 13.3%-23.6%) were not aware of any symptoms. This group had 6-fold higher odds of not being aware of any symptoms (OR, 6.34; 95% CI, 3.92-10.26; P < .001) compared with individuals without these characteristics. Overall, 1130 individuals (4.5%; 95% CI, 4.0%-5.0%) chose a different response than calling emergency medical services in response to a myocardial infarction.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Many adults in the United States remain unaware of the symptoms of and appropriate response to a myocardial infarction. In this study, several sociodemographic subgroups were associated with a higher risk of not being aware. They may benefit the most from targeted public health initiatives.

Prevalence and Predictors of Delay in Seeking Emergency Care in Patients Who Call 9-1-1 for Chest Pain

BACKGROUND

Delay in seeking medical treatment for suspected acute coronary syndrome can lead to negative patient outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence and predictors of delay in seeking care in high-risk chest pain patients with or without acute coronary syndrome (ACS).

METHODS

This was a secondary analysis of an observational cohort study of patients transported by Emergency Medical Services for a chief complaint of chest pain. Important demographic and clinical characteristics were extracted from electronic health records. Two independent reviewers adjudicated the presence of ACS. Logistic regression was used to model the predictors of delay in seeking care.

RESULTS

The final sample included 743 patients (99% non-Hispanic). Overall, 24% presented > 12 h from onset of symptoms. Among those with ACS (n = 115), 14% presented > 12 h after onset of symptoms. Race, smoking, diabetes, and related symptoms were associated with delayed seeking behavior. In multivariate analysis, non-Caucasian race (black or others) was the only independent predictor of > 12 h delay in seeking care (odds ratio 1.4; 95% confidence interval 1.0-1.9).

CONCLUSIONS

One in four patients with chest pain, including 14% of those with ACS, wait more than 12 h before seeking care. Compared to non-blacks, black patients are 40% more likely to delay seeking care > 12 h.

Combining Nonclinical Determinants of Health and Clinical Data for Research and Evaluation: Rapid Review

Background

Nonclinical determinants of health are of increasing importance to health care delivery and health policy. Concurrent with growing interest in better addressing patients’ nonmedical issues is the exponential growth in availability of data sources that provide insight into these nonclinical determinants of health.

Objective

This review aimed to characterize the state of the existing literature on the use of nonclinical health indicators in conjunction with clinical data sources.

Methods

We conducted a rapid review of articles and relevant agency publications published in English. Eligible studies described the effect of, the methods for, or the need for combining nonclinical data with clinical data and were published in the United States between January 2010 and April 2018. Additional reports were obtained by manual searching. Records were screened for inclusion in 2 rounds by 4 trained reviewers with interrater reliability checks. From each article, we abstracted the measures, data sources, and level of measurement (individual or aggregate) for each nonclinical determinant of health reported.

Results

A total of 178 articles were included in the review. The articles collectively reported on 744 different nonclinical determinants of health measures. Measures related to socioeconomic status and material conditions were most prevalent (included in 90% of articles), followed by the closely related domain of social circumstances (included in 25% of articles), reflecting the widespread availability and use of standard demographic measures such as household income, marital status, education, race, and ethnicity in public health surveillance. Measures related to health-related behaviors (eg, smoking, diet, tobacco, and substance abuse), the built environment (eg, transportation, sidewalks, and buildings), natural environment (eg, air quality and pollution), and health services and conditions (eg, provider of care supply, utilization, and disease prevalence) were less common, whereas measures related to public policies were rare. When combining nonclinical and clinical data, a majority of studies associated aggregate, area-level nonclinical measures with individual-level clinical data by matching geographical location.

Conclusions

A variety of nonclinical determinants of health measures have been widely but unevenly used in conjunction with clinical data to support population health research.

High-resolution mapping of epilepsy prevalence, ambulance use, and socioeconomic deprivation in an urban area of Sweden

OBJECTIVE

Geographic differences in epilepsy prevalence between areas of different socioeconomic standing have been demonstrated in the United Kingdom, but knowledge from other health care systems is scarce. Our objective was to compare epilepsy prevalence and emergency medical service (EMS) assignments for seizures in areas of different socioeconomic standings in the urban area of Gothenburg.

METHODS

Register-based study in Gothenburg (population 690 000), the second largest city in Sweden. Epilepsy cases were identified in the comprehensive national patient register in 2014-2015. EMS assignments were identified in the EMS dispatch system in 2013-2018. Socioeconomic variables were mean income and proportion of welfare recipients.

RESULTS

Significant correlations were seen between epilepsy prevalence and the proportion of welfare recipients (r = .49, P = .0014) and annual income per capita (r = -.42, P = .0071). There were 7907 assignments for seizures during the study years. GPS-based analysis showed that most assignments occurred in the city center. In addition, several high-density areas correlated with areas with a high proportion of inhabitants receiving welfare. Correlation analysis showed significant associations between the number of EMS assignments per capita and the proportion of welfare recipients (r = .31, P < .0001) and income (r = -.19, P < .0001). When comparing representative areas, a greater proportion of assignments was given the highest priority in high status areas compared to low status areas, both by the dispatch center and EMS clinicians on scene.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our findings that epilepsy prevalence and seizure frequency differ with socioeconomic status on a microgeographic level considerably strengthen the generalizability of previous observations across different health care systems. Differences in priority may reflect health utilization behavior or access to neurologic care.

Improving STEMI management in the emergency department: Examining the role of minority groups and sociodemographic characteristics

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether a fast-track intervention program will reduce time-lags of patients with STEMI considering minority groups, various socioeconomic status (SES) and clinical risk factors.

METHODS

A retrospective-archive study was conducted according to clinical guidelines, comparing all STEMI patients (n = 140) admitted to the emergency department (ED) before (n = 60) and during (n = 80) implementation of the fast track intervention program. The program comprised four steps: (1) immediate bed rest, (2) marking patient chart, (3) assessing time-lags according to defined clinical guidelines, and (4) physician signing a dedicated sticker on the ECG.

RESULTS

The major ethnic group compared to other minority patients with STEMI were less delayed for physician examination (r = -0.398, p < 0.01), spent less time at ED (r = -0.541, p < 0.01) and reached percutaneous coronary intervention earlier (r = -0.672, p < 0.01). Patients with higher SES spent less time for physician (r = -338, p < 0.05) and in the ED (r = -0.415, p < 0.01). Before intervention patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) spent more time at ED compared to non DM patients, however during intervention this difference was blurred (β = -0.803, p < 0.001). Gaps regarding sociodemographic bias remained present throughout the intervention despite monthly staff evaluations considering patient cases.

CONCLUSIONS

The fast track intervention was associated with less time at ED and to cardiac reperfusion. Yet, sociodemographic bias was present. Our findings highlight the need for the healthcare profession to address the role of biases in disparities in healthcare.

Patient Phenotypes, Cardiovascular Risk, and Ezetimibe Treatment in Patients After Acute Coronary Syndromes (from IMPROVE-IT)

Risk prediction following acute coronary syndrome (ACS) remains challenging. Data-driven machine-learning algorithms can potentially identify patients at high risk of clinical events. The Improved Reduction of Outcomes: Vytorin Efficacy International Trial randomized 18,144 post-ACS patients to ezetimibe + simvastatin or placebo + simvastatin. We performed hierarchical cluster analysis to identify patients at high risk of adverse events. Associations between clusters and outcomes were assessed using Cox proportional hazards models. The primary outcome was cardiovascular death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, unstable angina hospitalization, or coronary revascularization ≥30 days after randomization. We evaluated ezetimibe's impact on outcomes across clusters and the ability of the cluster analysis to discriminate for outcomes compared with the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events (GRACE) score. Five clusters were identified. In cluster 1 (n = 13,252), most patients experienced a non-STEMI (54.8%). Cluster 2 patients (n = 2,719) had the highest incidence of unstable angina (n = 83.3%). Cluster 3 patients (n = 782) all identified as Spanish descent, whereas cluster 4 patients (n = 803) were primarily from South America (56.2%). In cluster 5 (n = 587), all patients had ST elevation. Cluster analysis identified patients at high risk of adverse outcomes (log-rank p <0.0001); Cluster 2 (vs 1) patients had the highest risk of outcomes (hazards ratio 1.33, 95% confidence interval 1.24 to 1.43). Compared with GRACE risk, cluster analysis did not provide superior outcome discrimination. A consistent ezetimibe treatment effect was identified across clusters (interaction p = 0.882). In conclusion, cluster analysis identified significant difference in risk of outcomes across cluster groups. Data-driven strategies to identify patients who may differentially benefit from therapies and for risk stratification require further evaluation.

Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Care After Myocardial Infarction in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry

Background:

Patients living in disadvantaged neighborhoods are at high risk for adverse outcomes after acute myocardial infarction (MI). Whether residential socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with quality of in-hospital care among patients presenting with MI is unclear.

Methods and Results:

Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine the relationship between SES, quality of care, and in-hospital cardiovascular outcomes among patients with MI from diverse SES neighborhoods from July 2008 to December 2013, at 586 participating hospitals in the Acute Coronary Treatment and Intervention Outcomes Network Registry–Get With The Guidelines quality improvement program. Patients were categorized according to which SES summary measure group they resided in through linkage with US census block data. Outcomes were in-hospital mortality and major adverse cardiovascular events. Quality of MI care was assessed with the defect-free care measure that delineates the proportion of eligible patients who received all acute and discharge guideline-recommended therapies. Among 390 692 patients, there was a substantially longer median arrival-to-angiography time in lower SES neighborhoods (lowest 8.0 hours, low 5.5 hours, medium 4.8 hours, high 4.5 hours, highest 3.4 hours; P <0.0001), and a higher proportion of ST-segment–elevation myocardial infarction patients treated with fibrinolysis (lowest 23.1%, low 20.2%, medium 18.0%, high 14.2%, highest 5.9%; P <0.0001). However, after adjustment for clinical risk factors, insurance status, and hospital characteristics, socioeconomic disadvantage was not associated with lower rates of guideline-recommended defect-free acute care. Patients presenting from more disadvantaged neighborhoods had a progressively higher independent risk of in-hospital mortality ( P global =0.03) and major bleeding ( P global <0.001), along with lower quality of discharge care.

Conclusions:

In this national registry of MI, patients living in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods received equitable in-hospital care compared with advantaged neighborhoods. However, they experienced substantial delays in receiving angiography. Furthermore, patients living in disadvantaged neighborhoods remain at higher risk of adverse in-hospital outcomes after MI, including mortality. These observations suggest there are further opportunities for improvement in acute and discharge MI care.

Usage of a Digital Health Workplace Intervention Based on Socioeconomic Environment and Race: Retrospective Secondary Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND

Digital health tools have been associated with improvement of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors and outcomes; however, the differential use of these technologies among various ethnic and economic classes is not well known.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the effect of socioeconomic environment on usage of a digital health intervention.

METHODS

A retrospective secondary cross-sectional analysis of a workplace digital health tool use, in association with a change in intermediate markers of CVD, was undertaken over the course of one year in 26,188 participants in a work health program across 81 organizations in 42 American states between 2011 and 2014. Baseline demographic data for participants included age, sex, race, home zip code, weight, height, blood pressure, glucose, lipids, and hemoglobin A_1c. Follow-up data was then obtained in 90-day increments for up to one year. Using publicly available data from the American Community Survey, we obtained the median income for each zip code as a marker for socioeconomic status via median household income. Digital health intervention usage was analyzed based on socioeconomic status as well as age, gender, and race.

RESULTS

The cohort was found to represent a wide sample of socioeconomic environments from a median income of US $11,000 to $171,000. As a whole, doubling of income was associated with 7.6% increase in log-in frequency. However, there were marked differences between races. Black participants showed a 40.5% increase and Hispanic participants showed a 57.8% increase in use with a doubling of income, compared to 3% for Caucasian participants.

CONCLUSIONS

The current study demonstrated that socioeconomic data confirms no relevant relationship between socioeconomic environment and digital health intervention usage for Caucasian users. However, a strong relationship is present for black and Hispanic users. Thus, socioeconomic environment plays a prominent role only in minority groups that represent a high-risk group for CVD. This finding identifies a need for digital health apps that are effective in these high-risk groups.

A cross-sectional study of ethnicity-based differences in treatment seeking for symptoms of acute coronary syndrome

BACKGROUND

Patient-related delays in acquiring medical care for symptoms of acute coronary syndrome remain unacceptably long. Many clinical and sociodemographic characteristics associated with treatment-seeking delay are known; however, ethnicity has not been extensively evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to examine ethnicity-based differences in the time-to-treatment-seeking intervals of patients experiencing symptoms of acute coronary syndrome.

METHOD

Data for this descriptive study were collected for the larger Acute Coronary Syndrome Care in Emergency Departments (ASCEND) study. The larger study is a prospective, observational study in which patients presenting to hospital emergency departments and triaged as having symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome are identified. The primary outcome of this study, the time-to-treatment-seeking interval, was defined as the time between symptom onset and treatment seeking. The predictor variable, ethnicity, was measured with self-reported data and categorised as Chinese, South Asian, or 'Other' ethnic group. Participants in the 'Other' ethnic group were predominantly of European ancestry. Univariate and multivariate analyses were undertaken, along with nonparametric testing.

RESULTS

The study sample consisted of 419 participants: 36 Chinese, 126 South Asian, and 257 'Other' participants. The median time-to-treatment-seeking interval, for the total sample, was 180 minutes. A Kruskal-Wallis test demonstrated no statistically significant differences in the time-to-treatment-seeking intervals by ethnicity.

CONCLUSION

No ethnicity-based differences in the time-to-treatment-seeking intervals for symptoms of acute coronary syndrome were found. It is possible that Chinese and South Asian patients living in western countries are more aware of the potential signs and symptoms of acute coronary syndrome or feel more confident to access healthcare services than they have been previously.