Social determinants of health affecting treatment of pediatric brain tumors

Evaluating the Impact of a Pediatric Inpatient Social Care Program in a Community Hospital

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the impact of implementing a stakeholder-informed social risk screening and social service referral system in a community hospital setting.

METHODS

We implemented a stakeholder-informed social care program at a community hospital in April 2022. The evaluation included patients aged 0 to 17 years admitted to the pediatric unit between April 2021 and March 2022 (1 year preimplementation) and between April 2022 and March 2023 (1 year postimplementation). For a random subset of 232 preimplementation and 218 postimplementation patients, we performed manual data extraction, documenting program process measures and preliminary effectiveness outcomes. We used χ square and Wilcoxon rank tests to compare outcomes between the preimplementation and postimplementation groups. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the preliminary effectiveness of the social care program in identifying social risks.

RESULTS

Screening rates were higher in the postimplementation group for nearly all social domains. Compared with preimplementation, the postimplementation group had higher rates of social risks identified (17.4% vs 7.8% [P < .01]: adjusted odds ratio 2.9 [95% confidence interval 1.5-5.5]) on multivariate testing. Social work consults were completed more frequently and earlier for the postimplementation group (13.8.% vs 5.6% [P < .01]) and median (19 hours vs 25 hours [P = .03]), respectively. Rates of communication of social risks in discharge summaries were higher in the postimplementation group (46.8% vs 8.2% [P < .001]).

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of a stakeholder-informed social care program within a community hospital setting led to the increased identification of social risks and social work consultations and improved timeliness of social work consultations and written communication of social risks in discharge summaries for primary care providers.

Association of area deprivation index (ADI) with demographics and postoperative outcomes in pediatric brain tumor patients

PURPOSE

Although social determinants of health (SDOH) have been associated with adverse surgical outcomes, cumulative effects of multiple SDOH have never been studied. The area deprivation index (ADI) assesses cumulative impact of SDOH factors on outcomes. We analyzed the relationship between ADI percentile and postoperative outcomes in pediatric patients diagnosed with brain tumors.

METHODS

A retrospective, observational study was conducted on our consecutive series of pediatric brain tumor patients presenting between January 1, 1999, and May 31, 2022. Demographics and outcomes were collected, identifying SDOH factors influencing outcomes found in the literature. ADI percentiles were identified based on patient addresses, and patients were stratified into more (ADI 0-72%) and less (ADI 73-100%) disadvantaged cohorts. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were completed for demographics and outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 272 patients were included. Demographics occurring frequently in the more disadvantaged group were Black race (13.1% vs. 2.8%; P = .003), public insurance (51.5% vs. 27.5%; P < .001), lower median household income ($64,689 ± $19,254 vs. $46,976 ± $13,751; P < .001), and higher WHO grade lesions (15[11.5%] grade III and 8[6.2%] grade IV vs. 8[5.6%] grade III and 5[3.5%] grade IV; P = .11). The more disadvantaged group required adjunctive chemotherapy (25.4% vs. 12.05%; P = .007) or radiation therapy (23.9% vs. 12.7%; P = .03) more frequently and had significantly greater odds of needing adjunctive chemotherapy (odds ratio [OR], 1.11; confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.22; P = .03) in a multivariate model, which also identified higher WHO tumor grades at presentation (OR, 1.20; CI, 1.14-1.27; P < .001).

CONCLUSION

These findings are promising for use of ADI to represent potential SDOH disadvantages that pediatric patients may face throughout treatment. Future studies should pursue large multicenter collaborations to validate these findings.

Social Determinants of Health and Associations With Outcomes in Pediatric Patients With Brain Tumors

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Social determinants of health (SDOH) are nonmedical factors that affect health outcomes. Limited investigation has been completed on the potential association of these factors to adverse outcomes in pediatric populations. In this study, the authors aimed to analyze the effects of SDOH disparities and their relationship with outcomes after brain tumor resection or biopsy in children.

METHODS

The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of their center's pediatric patients with brain tumor. Black race, public insurance, median household income, and distance to hospital were the investigated SDOH factors. Univariate analysis was completed between number of SDOH factors and patient demographics. Multivariate linear regression models were created to identify coassociated determinants and outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 272 patients were identified and included in the final analysis. Among these patients, 81 (29.8%) had no SDOH disparities, 103 (37.9%) had 1, 71 (26.1%) had 2, and 17 (6.2%) had 3. An increased number of SDOH disparities was associated with increased percentage of missed appointments ( P = .002) and emergency room visits ( P = .004). Univariate analysis demonstrated increased missed appointments ( P = .01), number of postoperative imaging ( P = .005), and number of emergency room visits ( P = .003). In multivariate analysis, decreased median household income was independently associated with increased length of hospital stay ( P = .02).

CONCLUSION

The SDOH disparities are prevalent and impactful in this vulnerable population. This study demonstrates the need for a shift in research focus toward identifying the full extent of the impact of these factors on postoperative outcomes in pediatric patients with brain tumor.

Disparities in pediatric cancer survivorship care: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) experience many long-term health problems that can be mitigated with recommended survivorship care. However, many CCS do not have access to survivorship care nor receive recommended survivorship care. We reviewed the empirical evidence of disparities in survivorship care for CCS.

METHODS

This systematic review searched PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO for studies on survivorship care for CCS (PROSPERO: CRD42021227965) and abstracted the reported presence or absence of disparities in care. We screened 7945 citations, and of those, we reviewed 2760 publications at full text.

RESULTS

A total of 22 studies reported in 61 publications met inclusion criteria. Potential disparities by cancer treatment (N = 14), diagnosis (N = 13), sex (N = 13), and current age (N = 13) were frequently studied. There was high quality of evidence (QOE) of survivorship care disparities associated with non-White race, Hispanic ethnicity, and being uninsured. Moderate QOE demonstrated disparities among CCS who were unemployed and older. Lower QOE was found for disparities based on cancer diagnosis, cancer treatment, age at diagnosis, time since diagnosis, sex, insurance type, income, educational attainment, and geographic area.

CONCLUSIONS

We found strong empirical evidence of disparities in survivorship care for CCS associated with race, ethnicity, and insurance status. Multiple other disparate groups, such as those by employment, income, insurance type, education, cancer diagnosis, age at diagnosis, time since diagnosis, cancer treatment, geographic area, sex, and self-identified gender warrant further investigation. Prospective, multilevel research is needed to examine the role of other patient characteristics as potential disparities hindering adequate survivorship care in CCS.

Loss to follow-up of minorities, adolescents, and young adults on clinical trials: A report from the Children's Oncology Group

BACKGROUND

The increasing number of childhood cancer survivors necessitates continued follow-up to monitor for long-term complications. Inequities in loss to follow-up for patients enrolled on pediatric clinical trials have not been well studied.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of 21,084 patients residing in the United States enrolled on phase 2/3 and phase 3 Children's Oncology Group (COG) trials between January 1, 2000 and March 31, 2021. Rates of loss to follow-up to COG were evaluated using log-rank tests and multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models with adjusted hazard ratios (HRs). Demographic characteristics included age at enrollment, race, ethnicity, and zip code level socioeconomic data.

RESULTS

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients 15-39 years old at diagnosis had an increased hazard of loss to follow-up compared to patients 0-14 years old (HR, 1.89; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.76-2.02). In the overall cohort, non-Hispanic Blacks were found to have an increased hazard of loss to follow-up compared to non-Hispanic Whites (HR, 1.56; 95% CI, 1.43-1.70). Among AYAs, the highest loss to follow-up rates were among non-Hispanic Blacks (69.8% ± 3.1%), patients on germ cell tumor trials (78.2% ± 9.2%), and patients living in zip codes with a median household income ≤150% of the federal poverty line at diagnosis (66.7% ± 2.4%).

CONCLUSIONS

AYAs, racial and ethnic minority patients, and those living in lower socioeconomic status areas had the highest rates of loss to follow-up among clinical trial participants. Targeted interventions are warranted to ensure equitable follow-up and improved assessment of long-term outcomes.

PLAIN LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Little is known about disparities in loss to follow-up for pediatric cancer clinical trial participants. In this study, we found that participants who were adolescents and young adults when treated, those who identified as a racial and/or ethnic minority, or those residing in areas with lower socioeconomic status at diagnosis were associated with higher rates of loss to follow-up. As a result, the ability to assess their long-term survival, treatment-related health conditions, and quality of life is hindered. These findings suggest the need for targeted interventions to improve long-term follow-up among disadvantaged pediatric clinical trial participants.

Impact of social disparities on 10 year survival rates in paediatric cancers: a cohort study

Background

Studies reporting on the impact of social determinants of health on childhood cancer are limited. The current study aimed to examine the relationship between health disparities, as measured by the social deprivation index, and mortality in paediatric oncology patients using a population-based national database.

Methods

In this cohort study of children across all paediatric cancers, survival rates were determined using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database from 1975 to 2016. The social deprivation index was used to measure and assess healthcare disparities and specifically the impact on both overall and cancer-specific survival. Hazard ratios were used to assess the association of area deprivation.

Findings

The study cohort was composed of 99,542 patients with paediatric cancer. Patients had a median age of 10 years old (IQR: 3-16) with 46,109 (46.3%) of female sex. Based on race, 79,984 (80.4%) of patients were identified as white while 10,801 (10.9%) were identified as Black. Patients from socially deprived areas had significantly higher hazard of death overall for both non-metastatic [1.27 (95% CI: 1.19-1.36)] and metastatic presentations [1.09 (95% CI: 1.05-1.15)] compared to in more socially affluent areas.

Interpretation

Patients from the most socially deprived areas had lower rates of overall and cancer-specific survival compared to patients from socially affluent areas. With an increase in childhood cancer survivors, implementation of social determinant indices, such as the social deprivation index, might aid improvement in healthcare outcomes for the most vulnerable patients.

Funding

There was no study sponsor or extramural funding.

Impact of Social Determinants of Health in Spine Surgery

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Social determinants of health (SDH) are factors that affect patient health outcomes outside the hospital. SDH are "conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks." Current literature has shown SDH affecting patient reported outcomes in various specialties; however, there is a dearth in research relating spine surgery with SDH. The aim of this review article is to identify connections between SDH and post-operative outcomes in spine surgery. These are important, yet understudied predictors that can impact health outcomes and affect health equity.

RECENT FINDINGS

Few studies have shown associations between SDH pillars (environment, race, healthcare, economic, and education) and spine surgery outcomes. The most notable relationships demonstrate increased disability, return to work time, and pain with lower income, education, environmental locations, healthcare status and/or provider. Despite these findings, there remains a significant lack of understanding between SDH and spine surgery. Our manuscript reviews the available literature comparing SDH with various spine conditions and surgeries. We organized our findings into the following narrative themes: 1) education, 2) geography, 3) race, 4) healthcare access, and 5) economics.

Ethnic and socioeconomic disparities in survival of children and adolescents with CNS tumors in Southern Israel

Background

This study sought to evaluate survival of pediatric and adolescent patients with central nervous system (CNS) cancer in southern Israel, outline disparities between ethnic and socioeconomic groups (Bedouin Arabs compared to Jews) and evaluate the role of socioeconomic status (SES) in ethnic disparities.

Methods

A retrospective study was conducted among 91 patients aged one to 20 years, who were diagnosed with CNS tumors between 2001 and 2017, and followed-up through 2020. Ethnic differences in survival were measured by age, sex, stage, histology and SES. One and 3-year survival rates were calculated. Multivariable regression analysis was used to estimate adjusted ethnic differences in survival rates.

Results

Ethnic differences in survival existed within all studied variables. All Bedouin patients lived in low SES settlements (All Bedouin settlement in Southern Israel are ranked in lower socioeconomic deciles). Twenty-eight patients had medulloblastoma. Seven (25%) presented with leptomeningeal disease or distant metastases. Medulloblastoma molecular subgroups were not assessed for logistic reasons. Three-year overall survival of Bedouins was 50% compared to 92.3% for Jews. Adjusted risk of death at 3 years was significantly higher for Bedouin patients (aHR 3.36, 95% CI 1.41–7.98, P = .006).

Conclusions

We conclude that Bedouin children with CNS tumors have significantly lower survival rates compared to Jewish children, and SES seems to play a major part in these disparities. Factors influencing these disparities should be addressed and public health interventions to eliminate these disparities should be developed.

Clinical Stakeholder Perspectives on Pediatric Inpatient Screening for Social Needs

OBJECTIVES

Social determinants of health are major drivers of health outcomes and quality of life. While several social needs screening tools have been created for use in primary care settings, the best procedures to incorporate these tools into hospital workflow remain unclear. This study aimed to elicit clinical stakeholder perspectives on proposed screening for social needs during pediatric hospitalizations, with particular focus on informing implementation strategies.

METHODS

We conducted 23 semistructured interviews with pediatric clinical stakeholders (physicians, nurses, social workers, and case managers) at 1 tertiary and 2 community hospitals between July 2020 and January 2021, on topics including social needs screening practices, benefits and challenges to inpatient screening, and optimal screening and referral processes within hospital workflow. Interviews were recorded, professionally transcribed, and analyzed thematically.

RESULTS

Participants ranged in age from 25 to 62 years, with nearly half working in community hospitals. Regarding inpatient social needs screening, themes emerged about benefits, including enabling clinicians to identify vulnerable patients/moments, and providing clinicians with comprehensive understanding of social context; barriers, including prioritization of medical needs, lack of clinician education surrounding screening, and lack of pre-established relationships; facilitators, including duration of time spent with families, and multidisciplinary clinicians; screening process preferences, including verbal screening, and integration into pre-existing systems; and referral process preferences, including resource provision with family empowerment, and care transition to outpatient clinicians.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical stakeholders identified multiple barriers, facilitators, and process preferences for pediatric inpatient social needs screening, which may inform the future development of feasible and sustainable implementation strategies.

Systematic Review of Racial, Socioeconomic, and Insurance Status Disparities in the Treatment of Pediatric Neurosurgical Diseases in the United States

BACKGROUND

Increasing light is being shed on how race, insurance, and socioeconomic status (SES) may be related to outcomes from disease in the United States. To better understand the impact of these health care disparities in pediatric neurosurgery, we performed a systematic review of the literature.

METHODS

We conducted a systematic review using PRISMA guidelines and MeSH terms involving neurosurgical conditions and racial, ethnic, and SES disparities. Three independent reviewers screened articles and analyzed texts selected for full analysis.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight studies were included in the final analysis, of which all but 2 were retrospective database reviews. Thirty-four studies analyzed race, 22 analyzed insurance status, and 13 analyzed SES/income. Overall, nonwhite patients, patients with public insurance, and patients from lower SES were shown to have reduced access to treatment and greater rates of adverse outcomes. Nonwhite patients were more likely to present at an older age with more severe disease, less likely to undergo surgery at a high-volume surgical center, and more likely to experience postoperative morbidity and mortality. Underinsured and publicly insured patients were more likely to experience delay in surgical referral, less likely to undergo surgical treatment, and more likely to experience inpatient mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Health care disparities are present within multiple populations of patients receiving pediatric neurosurgical care. This review highlights the need for continued investigation into identifying and addressing health care disparities in pediatric neurosurgery patients.

Financial Risk Protection for Neurosurgical Care in Indonesia and the Philippines: A Primer on Health Financing for the Global Neurosurgeon

Which conditions treated by neurosurgeons cause the worst economic hardship in low middle-income in countries? How can public health financing be responsive to the inequities in the delivery of neurosurgical care? This review article frames the objectives of equity, quality, and efficiency in health financing to the goals of global neurosurgery. In order to glean provider perspectives on the affordability of neurosurgical care in low-resource settings, we did a survey of neurosurgeons from Indonesia and the Philippines and identified that the care of socioeconomically disadvantaged patients with malignant intracranial tumors were found to incur the highest out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, the surveyed neurosurgeons also observed that treatment of traumatic brain injury may have to require greater financial subsidies. It is therefore imperative to frame health financing alongside the goals of equity, efficiency, and quality of neurosurgical care for the impoverished. Using principles and perspectives from managerial economics and public health, we conceptualize an implementation framework that addresses both the supply and demand sides of healthcare provision as applied to neurosurgery. For the supply side, strategic purchasing enables a systematic and contractual management of payment arrangements that provide performance-based economic incentives for providers. For the demand side, conditional cash transfers similarly leverages on financial incentives on the part of patients to reward certain health-seeking behaviors that significantly influence clinical outcomes. These health financing strategies are formulated in order to ultimately build neurosurgical capacity in LMICs, improve access to care for patients, and ensure financial risk protection.

Racial/ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic survival disparities in adolescents and young adults with primary central nervous system tumors

BACKGROUND

Disparities in survival by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and geography in adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumors have not been well studied.

PROCEDURE

A retrospective cohort study utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database was conducted for AYA patients diagnosed with primary CNS tumors. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHR) were calculated using a multivariate Cox proportional hazard model to evaluate the association between race/ethnicity, SES, rurality, and hazard of death.

RESULTS

All minority groups showed an increased hazard of death with greatest disparities in the high-grade glioma cohort. Lower SES was associated with an increased hazard of death in non-Hispanic White (NHW) patients (aHR 1.12; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.01-1.24), non-Hispanic Black (NHB) patients (aHR 1.34; 95% CI 1.00-1.80), and patients aged 25-29 years (aHR 1.29; 95% CI 1.07-1.55). Mediation analysis showed an indirect effect of SES on the effect of race/ethnicity on the hazard of death only among NHB patients, with SES accounting for 33.7% of the association between NHB and hazard of death. Rurality was associated with an increased hazard of death for patients in the lowest SES tertile (aHR 1.31; 95% CI 1.08-1.59) and NHW patients (aHR 1.20; 95% CI 1.08-1.34).

CONCLUSIONS

Patients identified as a racial/ethnic minority, patients with a lower SES, and patients residing in rural areas had an increased hazard of death. Further studies are needed to understand and address the biological, psychosocial, societal, and economic factors that impact AYA neuro-oncology patients at highest risk of experiencing poorer outcomes.

Evaluating palliative opportunities in pediatric patients with leukemia and lymphoma

BACKGROUND

Despite favorable prognoses, pediatric patients with hematologic malignancies experience significant challenges that may lead to diminished quality of life or family stress. They are less likely to receive subspecialty palliative care (PC) consultation and often undergo intensive end-of-life (EOL) care. We examined "palliative opportunities," or events when the integration of PC would have the greatest impact, present during a patient's hematologic malignancy course and relevant associations.

METHODS

A single-center retrospective review was conducted on patients aged 0-18 years with a hematologic malignancy who died between 1/1/12 and 11/30/17. Demographic, disease, and treatment data were collected. A priori, nine palliative opportunity categories were defined. Descriptive statistics were performed. Palliative opportunities were evaluated over temporal quartiles from diagnosis to death. Timing and rationale of pediatric PC consultation were evaluated.

RESULTS

Patients (n = 92) had a median of 5.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 6.0) palliative opportunities, incurring 522 total opportunities, increasing toward the EOL. Number and type of opportunities did not differ by demographics. PC consultation was most common in patients with lymphoid leukemia (50.9%, 28/55) and myeloid leukemia (48.5%, 16/33) versus lymphoma (0%, 0/4, p = 0.14). Forty-four of ninety-two patients (47.8%) received PC consultation a median of 1.8 months (IQR 4.1) prior to death. Receipt of PC was associated with transplant status (p = 0.0018) and a higher number of prior palliative opportunities (p = 0.0005); 70.3% (367/522) of palliative opportunities occurred without PC.

CONCLUSION

Patients with hematologic malignancies experience many opportunities warranting PC support. Identifying opportunities for ideal timing of PC involvement may benefit patients with hematologic cancers and their caregivers.

Racial and ethnic disparities among children with primary central nervous system tumors in the US

INTRODUCTION

Primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors are among the most common and lethal types of cancer in children. However, the existence of health disparities in CNS tumors by race or ethnicity remains poorly understood. This systematic review sought to determine whether racial and ethnic disparities in incidence, healthcare access, and survival exist among pediatric patients diagnosed with CNS tumors.

METHODS

A search of MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus was conducted. Inclusion criteria selected for studies published between January 1, 2005 and July 15, 2020 that focused on pediatric populations in the US, evaluated for potential differences based on racial or ethnic backgrounds, and focused on CNS tumors. A standardized study form was used to collect study information, population of interest, research design, and quality of analysis, sample size, participant demographics, pathology evaluated, and incidence or outcomes observed.

RESULTS

A total of 30 studies were inlcuded. Studies suggest White children may be more likely to be diagnosed with a CNS tumor and Hispanic children to present with advanced-stage disease and have worse outcomes. The degree of influence derived from socioeconomic factors is unclear. This review was limited by few available studies that included race and ethnicity as a variable, the overlap in databases used, and unclear categorization of race and ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS

This review identified notable and at times contradicting variations in racial/ethnic disparities among children with CNS tumors, suggesting that the extent of these disparities remains largely unknown and prompts further research to improve health equity.