An Analysis of Social Determinants of Health and Their Implications for Hepatitis C Virus Treatment in People Who Inject Drugs: The Case of Baltimore

Background

Sixty-eight percent of the nearly 3.5 million people living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) in the United States are people who inject drugs (PWID). Despite effective treatments, uptake remains low in PWID. We examined the social determinants of health (SDoH) that affect the HCV care cascade.

Methods

We conducted a secondary analysis of data from 720 PWID in a cluster-randomized trial. We recruited PWID from 12 drug-affected areas in Baltimore. Inclusion criteria were injection in the prior month or needle sharing in the past 6 months. Intake data consisted of a survey and HCV testing. Focusing on SDoH, we analyzed self-report of (1) awareness of HCV infection (in those with active or previously cured HCV) and (2) prior HCV treatment (in the aware subgroup). We used descriptive statistics and logistic regression for statistical analyses.

Results

The 342 participants were majority male and Black with a median age of 52 years. Women were more likely to be aware of their status but less likely to be treated. Having a primary care provider and HIV-positive status were associated with increased awareness and treatment. Unhoused people had 51% lower odds of HCV treatment. People who reported that other PWID had shared their HCV status with them had 2.3-fold higher odds of awareness of their own status.

Conclusions

Further study of gender disparities in HCV treatment access is needed. Increased social support was associated with higher odds of HCV treatment, suggesting an area for future interventions. Strategies to identify and address SDoH are needed to end HCV.

Health Care Expenditures for Black and White US Adults Living Under Similar Conditions

Importance

Evidence suggests that racial disparities in health outcomes disappear or diminish when Black and White adults in the US live under comparable living conditions; however, whether racial disparities in health care expenditures concomitantly disappear or diminish is unknown.

Objective

To examine whether disparities in health care expenditures are minimized when Black and White US adults live in similar areas of racial composition and economic condition.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study used a nationally representative sample of 7062 non-Hispanic Black or White adults who live in 2238 of 2275 US census tracts with a 5% or greater Black population and who participated in the Medical Expenditure Panel Study (MEPS) in 2016. Differences in total health care expenditures and 6 specific categories of health care expenditures were assessed. Two-part regression models compared expenditures between Black and White adults living in the same Index of Concentration at the Extremes (ICE) quintile, a measure of racialized economic segregation. Estimated dollar amount differences in expenditures were calculated. All analyses were weighted to account for the complex sampling design of the MEPS. Data analysis was performed from December 1, 2019, to August 7, 2023.

Exposure

Self-reported non-Hispanic Black or non-Hispanic White race.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Presence and amount of patient out-of-pocket and insurance payments for annual total health care expenditures; office-based, outpatient, emergency department, inpatient hospital, or dental visits; and prescription medicines. ICE quintile 5 (Q5) reflected tracts that were mostly high income with mostly White individuals, whereas Q1 reflected tracts that were mostly low income with mostly Black individuals.

Results

A total of 7062 MEPS respondents (mean [SD] age, 49 [18] years; 33.1% Black and 66.9% White; 56.1% female and 43.9% male) who lived in census tracts with a 5% or greater Black population in 2016 were studied. In Q5, Black adults had 56% reduced odds of having any health care expenditures (odds ratio, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.27-0.71) compared with White adults, at an estimated $2145 less per year, despite similar health status. Among those in Q5 with any expenditures, Black adults spent 30% less on care (cost ratio, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.56-0.86). In Q3 (most racially and economically integrated), differences in total annual health care spending were minimal ($79 annually; 95% CI, -$1187 to $1345).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cross-sectional study of Black and White adults in the US, health care expenditure disparities diminished or disappeared under conditions of both racial and economic equity and equitable health care access; in areas that were mostly high income and had mostly White residents, Black adults spent substantially less. Results underscore the continuing need to recognize place as a contributor to race-based differences in health care spending.

Abstract P252: Financial Strain and Cardiovascular Health Among Young Black Women: Findings From a Community Survey

Background: Black women experience disproportionate rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD), including earlier onset, increased number of risk factors, and higher morbidity rates. Higher levels of stress may help to explain this disparity. We sought to examine the relationship between financial strain—a common stressor—and cardiovascular health in a sample of young, Black women.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of data collected through an academic-community collaboration with the AME Zion Church. In 2019, an electronic survey was administered to self-identified Black women aged 18 to 40 years. The survey assessed psychosocial stressors, psychological distress, healthcare utilization, and health status. We examined the association of financial strain—defined as difficulty in paying for necessities—and cardiovascular health (CVH) modeled after the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8”. The eight domains were defined by four behavioral health factors (sleep, diet, physical activity, and smoking) and four self-reported health conditions (overweight/obesity, prediabetes/diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol). Each component earned 1 point for positive attributes (e.g., adequate sleep) or 0 for negative attributes (e.g., having high blood pressure). Components were summed to a total score (range: 0-8). We used multivariable regression to examine the relationship between financial strain and CVH score adjusting for other sociodemographic factors.

Results: This study included 160 Black women with a mean age of 32.36 (SD = 5.68). Nearly half the sample (46%) held graduate or professional degrees, and 28% of respondents earned an income ≥$100,000. The mean score on the 8-point CVH measurement was 5.45 (SD=1.44). Adjusting for age, education, and income, experiencing some financial strain was associated with poorer CVH than little to no financial strain (β = -0.72, p=.006). Age was marginally associated with decreasing CVH (β=-.040, p=0.05). Evaluating individual CVH components, those with some degree of financial strain had higher odds of being sedentary (OR: 2.29; 95% CI: 1.04, 5.04) and getting insufficient sleep (OR: 2.66; 95% CI: 1.17, 6.05) than those with little to no strain. There were no significant associations between financial strain and diet or the health status measures (i.e., overweight/obesity, prediabetes/diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol). Smoking could not be evaluated separately due to low numbers of smokers within the sample.

Conclusion: Adjusting for age, education, and income, financial strain was negatively associated with overall CVH, and physical activity and sleep, specifically, within this sample of young, Black women. Interventions targeting financial strain may positively affect preventative CVH behaviors within this population.

How place and race drive the numbers of fatal police shootings in the US: 2015-2020

Place and race are two important predictors of fatal police shootings. We used Mapping Police Violence Data and the Washington Post Fatal Force Data to determine whether a county's deprivation status within communities influences the association between the number of fatal police shootings, and how the number of fatal police shootings differs by race and ethnicity. We categorized counties based on the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) to three categories: low-, medium-, and high-SVI. The analytical sample included 3136 US counties between 2015 and 2020; during this time, 5525 individuals were fatally shot by police. Our findings show that place strongly impacts the number of fatal police shootings. Among all fatal shootings, 713 occurred in low-SVI counties, 1660 in middle-SVI, and 3152 in high-SVI counties. Race played a significant role; fatal shooting deaths increased by 2.3 times among White individuals, 9.6 times among Black individuals, and 15 times among Hispanic individuals between low- and high-SVI counties. The results of negative binomial regressions show a strong association between fatal police shootings and the counties' characteristics. In comparison with low-SVI counties, residents in counties with moderate and high-SVI are more likely to be fatally shot by police by 4.9 and 5.8 percentage points. In addressing violence and fatal police shootings, the vulnerability of counties and the population's racial composition play significant roles and need specific attention in addressing systemic racial disparities in the criminal justice system.

Abstract PO-177: Does greater oncologist density reduce estimates of Black-White disparities in cancer mortality

Background: Black-White racial disparities in cancer mortality in the US are well-documented. Oncologist density, as a measure of oncology care access, has the potential to improve cancer outcomes. Given the estimated shortage of oncologists over the next decade, understanding how oncologist density might influence cancer disparities is of considerable importance. We hypothesized that greater oncologist density was associated with smaller racial disparities in cancer mortality. Methods: An ecological study of 1,048 US counties was performed. Oncologist density (per 100,000 population) was calculated where oncologists were identified from the 2013 National Plan and Provider Enumeration System. Using the age-standardized cancer mortality rate between 2014-2018 from State Cancer Profiles, the Black:White cancer mortality rate ratio was calculated for each county. Linear regression was constructed to assess the association of oncologist density with (1) Black-White cancer mortality rate ratio, and (2) cancer mortality rates overall, and separately among Black and White people. Results: The mean Black:White cancer mortality rate ratio across US counties was 1.13. Every five additional oncologists per 100,000 population was associated with 0.02 increase in the Black:White cancer mortality rate ratio (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.007 to 0.03) in the multivariable model. The role of oncologist density on cancer mortality was different between Black and White people. Every five additional oncologists per 100,000 population was associated with a 1.59 decrease per 100,000 population in cancer mortality rates among White people (95% CI: -2.96 to -0.23), whereas oncologist density was not associated with cancer mortality rates among Black people. Conclusions: Greater oncologist density was associated with larger Black-White racial disparities in cancer mortality. Greater oncologist density was associated with significantly lower cancer mortality among White patients, but not among Black patients. Increasing oncologist density alone could exacerbate mortality disparities, thus attention to ensuring equitable care is critical.

Citation Format: Yuehan Zhang, Kathryn M. Leifheit, Otis W. Brawley, Roland Thorpe, Darrell Gaskin, Lorraine Dean. Does greater oncologist density reduce estimates of Black-White disparities in cancer mortality [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Virtual Conference: 14th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2021 Oct 6-8. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2022;31(1 Suppl):Abstract nr PO-177.

My Faith Gives Me Strength: Black Churches Supporting Dementia Care Partners

Inequities in dementia care require an in depth understanding of dementia care partner life experiences, care needs, sources of support and ways to improve those experiences at the community level. In partnership with Black Churches in Baltimore, MD and rural Pennsylvania, we facilitated three focus groups (n=30) with Black dementia care partners to understand: 1) unique dementia care-related needs and challenges, and 2) how the church can be a supportive care partner. Participants noted three overarching themes related to challenges and needs: 1) unique challenges in caregiving - assuming various roles to provide comprehensive care, working within policies of support services, environmental challenges (neighborhood safety), and family conflicts; 2) lack of dementia education and educational materials; and 3) unmet needs of the care recipient – lack of dementia friendly neighborhoods, lack of meaningful activities, and undiagnosed dementia. Regarding the supportive role of the church, the theme of perceived role of the church included providing emotional and social support for care partners and recipients, reducing burden through providing respite, support groups, networking/ connections to resources, and promoting health events.

Disentangling Race, Poverty, and Place to Understand the Racial Disparity in Waist Circumference among Women

In the U.S., 54.8% of non-Hispanic Black women are obese, a rate that is 1.4 times greater than in White women. The drivers of this racial disparity are not yet clearly understood. We sought to disentangle race, household poverty, neighborhood racial composition, and neighborhood poverty to better understand the racial disparity in obesity among women. We used data from the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the 2000 U.S. Census to examine the role of individual race, individual poverty, neighborhood racial composition, and neighborhood poverty on women's risk of obesity. We found that individual race was the primary risk factor for obesity among women. Neighborhood effects did not account for the racial disparity. Understanding that race is a social, not a biologic construct, more work is needed to uncover what it is about race that produces racial disparities in obesity among women.

P1732The additive value of pre- and post-reperfusion cardiac troponin T levels in risk stratification of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction

Background

Despite therapeutic advances, mortality rates following ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) are still alarmingly high. There is conflicting evidence regarding the prognostic role of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) measurements before and after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) over traditional predictors of mortality in STEMI patients.

Purpose

To determine the additive prognostic value of pre- and 12h post-PPCI hs-cTnT levels in STEMI patients

Methods

Retrospective longitudinal study including 3,113 consecutive STEMI patients treated with PPCI at a university hospital covering a population of 1.6 million in the North East of England. Clinical, procedural, and laboratory data were prospectively collected during patient hospitalization while hs-cTnT measurements were performed at admission to the catheterization laboratory and at 12h post-PPCI. Median follow-up was 53 months. The study endpoints were in-hospital and overall mortality. Mortality data were obtained from the UK Office of National Statistics.

Results

Admission hs-cTnT >515ng/L (4th quartile) was independently associated with in-hospital mortality [HR=2.39 per highest to lower quartiles; 95% CI: 1.44 to 3.97; p=0.001] after multivariate adjustment for a core clinical model of in-hospital mortality prediction. Likewise, admission hs-cTnT >515ng/L independently predicted overall mortality (HR=1.25 per highest to lower quartiles; 95% CI: 1.00 to 1.57; p=0.044) after adjustment for covariates significantly associated with this endpoint. Admission hs-cTnT correctly reclassified risk for in-hospital death [net reclassification index (NRI)=44.1%, p<0.001) and overall mortality (NRI=60.4%, p<0.001). Conversely, 12h hs-cTnT was not independently associated with mortality.

Conclusion

Admission, but not 12h post-reperfusion, hs-cTnT predicts mortality and improves risk stratification in the PPCI era. These results support the role of hs-cTnT in risk stratification of post-STEMI patients and challenge the cost-effectiveness of routine 12h hs-cTnT measurements.

Comparing the Value of Nonprofit Hospitals' Tax Exemption to Their Community Benefits

The tax-exempt status of nonprofit hospitals has received increased attention from policymakers interested in examining the value they provide instead of paying taxes. We use 2012 data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 990, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Cost Reports, and American Hospital Association’s (AHA) Annual Survey to compare the value of community benefits with the tax exemption. We contrast nonprofit’s total community benefits to what for-profits provide and distinguish between charity and other community benefits. We find that the value of the tax exemption averages 5.9% of total expenses, while total community benefits average 7.6% of expenses, incremental nonprofit community benefits beyond those provided by for-profits average 5.7% of expenses, and incremental charity alone average 1.7% of expenses. The incremental community benefit exceeds the tax exemption for only 62% of nonprofits. Policymakers should be aware that the tax exemption is a rather blunt instrument, with many nonprofits benefiting greatly from it while providing relatively few community benefits.

The impact of rural-urban community settings on cognitive decline: results from a nationally-representative sample of seniors in China

BACKGROUND

Aging and rural-urban disparities are two major social problems in today's ever-developing China. Much of the existing literature has supported a negative association between adverse community setting with the cognitive functioning of seniors, but very few studies have empirically investigated the impact of rural-urban community settings on cognitive decline in the late life course of the population in developing countries.

METHODS

Data of seniors aged 65 or above (n = 1709) within CHARLS (The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, a sister study of HRS), a nationally representative longitudinal cohort (2011-2015) in China, were analyzed using a multilevel modeling (MLM) of time within individuals, and individual within communities. Cognitive impairment was assessed with an adapted Chinese version of Mini-Mental State Examination.

RESULTS

Urban community setting showed a significant protective effect (β = - 1.978, p < .000) on cognitive impairment in simple linear regression, and the MLM results showed it also had a significant lower cognitive impairment baseline (β = - 2.278, p < .000). However, the curvature rate of cognitive decline was faster in urban community setting indicated by a positive interaction between the quadratic time term and urban community setting on cognitive impairment (β = 0.320, p < .05). A full model adjusting other individual SES factors was built after model fitness comparison, and the education factor accounted for most of the within and between community setting variance.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that urban community setting in one's late-life course has a better initial cognitive status but a potentially faster decline rate in China, and this particular pattern of senior cognitive decline emphasize the importance of more specific preventive measures. Meanwhile, a more holistic perspective should be adopted while construct a risk factor model of community environment on cognitive function, and the influence at society level needs to be further explored in future research.

High-risk variants of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma in patients with discoid lupus erythematosus: a case series

Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of non-melanotic skin cancer, may develop in long-standing discoid lesions, especially those that are depigmented and located in sun-exposed areas. The clinical course of this complication may be aggressive, with early metastases and a risk of mortality. We report three cases demonstrating this emerging trend of secondary squamous cell carcinoma in discoid lesions as the incidence of this secondary malignancy in other diseased skin lesions is on the decline.

Place, not race: disparities dissipate in southwest Baltimore when blacks and whites live under similar conditions

Much of the current health disparities literature fails to account for the fact that the nation is largely segregated, leaving racial groups exposed to different health risks and with variable access to health services based on where they live. We sought to determine if racial health disparities typically reported in national studies remain the same when black and white Americans live in integrated settings. Focusing on a racially integrated, low-income neighborhood of Southwest Baltimore, Maryland, we found that nationally reported disparities in hypertension, diabetes, obesity among women, and use of health services either vanished or substantially narrowed. The sole exception was smoking: We found that white residents were more likely than black residents to smoke, underscoring the higher rates of ill health in whites in the Baltimore sample than seen in national data. As a result, we concluded that racial differences in social environments explain a meaningful portion of disparities typically found in national data. We further concluded that when social factors are equalized, racial disparities are minimized. Policies aimed solely at health behavior change, biological differences among racial groups, or increased access to health care are limited in their ability to close racial disparities in health. Such policies must address the differing resources of neighborhoods and must aim to improve the underlying conditions of health for all.

Estimating the Economic Burden of Racial Health Inequalities in the United States

The primary hypothesis of this study is that racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care impose costs on numerous aspects of society, both direct health care costs and indirect costs such as loss of productivity. The authors conducted three sets of analysis, assessing: (1) direct medical costs and (2) indirect costs, using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2002–2006) to estimate the potential cost savings of eliminating health disparities for racial/ethnic minorities and the productivity loss associated with health inequalities for racial/ethnic minorities, respectively; and (3) costs of premature death, using data from the National Vital Statistics Reports (2003–2006). They estimate that eliminating health disparities for minorities would have reduced direct medical care expenditures by about $230 billion and indirect costs associated with illness and premature death by more than $1 trillion for the years 2003–2006 (in 2008 inflation-adjusted dollars). We should address health disparities because such inequities are inconsistent with the values of our society and addressing them is the right thing to do, but this analysis shows that social justice can also be cost effective.

Leiomyosarcoma of the kidney

The case of a 42-year-old woman with leiomyosarcoma of the kidney, a very rare renal lesion, is presented. Leiomyosarcomas are the most common of the primary renal sarcomas which account for less than 1% of renal tumours in adults.

Exploring health disparities in integrated communities: overview of the EHDIC study

Progress in understanding the nature of health disparities requires data that are race-comparative while overcoming confounding between race, socioeconomic status, and segregation. The Exploring Health Disparities in Integrated Communities (EHDIC) study is a multisite cohort study that will address these confounders by examining the nature of health disparities within racially integrated communities without racial disparities in socioeconomic status. Data consisted of a structured questionnaire and blood pressure measurements collected from a sample of the adult population (age 18 and older) of two racially integrated contiguous census tracts. This manuscript reports on baseline results from the first EHDIC site, a low-income urban community in southwest Baltimore, Maryland (EHDIC-SWB). In the adjusted models, African Americans had lower rates of smoking and fair or poor self-rated health than whites, but no race differences in obesity, drinking, or physical inactivity. Our findings indicate that accounting for race differences in exposure to social conditions reduces or eliminates some health-related disparities. Moreover, these findings suggest that solutions to the seemingly intractable health disparities problem that target social determinants may be effective, especially those factors that are confounded with racial segregation. Future research in the area of health disparities should seek ways to account for confounding from SES and segregation.

How accurate and reliable are doctors in estimating fracture angulation?

This study assessed the accuracy of doctors in estimating fracture angulation. Radiographs of fractured wrist and forearm of varying angulations were shown to all grades of doctors in the speciality of trauma and orthopaedics. They were asked to estimate the angulation at the fracture site without using a goniometer. The estimates were analysed for accuracy and variability. This study showed that doctors have a mean error of 8-9 degrees and had poor agreement with themselves and others. We recommend the use of a goniometer to assess fracture angulation.

Biomass conversion to mixed alcohol fuels using the MixAlco process

The MixAlco process is a patented technology that converts any biodegradable material (e.g., sorted municipal solid waste, sewage sludge, industrial biosludge, manure, agricultural residues, energy crops) into mixed alcohol fuels containing predominantly 2-propanol, but also higher alcohols up to 7-tridecanol. The feedstock is treated with lime to increase its digestibility. Then, it is fed to a fermentor in which a mixed culture of acid-forming microorganisms produces carboxylic acids. Calcium carbonate is added to the fermentor to neutralize the acids to their corresponding carboxylate salt. The dilute (approximately 3%) carboxylate salts are concentrated to 19% using an amine solvent that selectively extracts water. Drying is completed using multi-effect evaporators. Finally, the dry salts are thermally converted to ketones which subsequently are hydrogenated to alcohols. All the steps in the MixAlco process have been proven at the laboratory scale. A techno-economic model of the process indicates that with the tipping fees available in New York (126 dollars/dry tonne), mixed alcohol fuels may be sold for 0.04 dollars/L (0.16 dollars/gal) with a 60% return on investment (ROI). With the average tipping fee in the United States rates (63 dollars/dry tonne), mixed alcohol fuels may be sold for 0.18 dollars/L (0.69 dollars/gal) with a 15% ROI. In the case of sugarcane bagasse, which may be obtained for about 26 dollars/dry ton, mixed alcohol fuels may be sold for 0.29 dollars/L (1.09 dollars/gal) with a 15% ROI.

Impact of managed care on the treatment, costs, and outcomes of fee-for-service Medicare patients with acute myocardial infarction

OBJECTIVE

To examine the effects of market-level managed care activity on the treatment, cost, and outcomes of care for Medicare fee-for-service acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients.

DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING

Patients from the Cooperative Cardiovascular Project (CCP), a sample of Medicare beneficiaries discharged from nonfederal acute-care hospitals with a primary discharge diagnosis of AMI from January 1994 to February 1996.

STUDY DESIGN

We estimated models of patient treatment, costs, and outcomes using ordinary least squares and logistic regression. The independent variables of primary interest were market-area managed care penetration and competition. The models included controls for patient, hospital, and other market area characteristics.

DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS

We merged the CCP data with Medicare claims and other data sources. The study sample included CCP patients aged 65 and older who were admitted during 1994 and 1995 with a confirmed AMI to a nonrural hospital.

PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

Rates of revascularization and cardiac catheterization for Medicare fee-for-service patients with AMI are lower in high-HMO penetration markets than in low-penetration ones. Patients admitted in high-HMO-competition markets, in contrast, are more likely to receive cardiac catheterization for treatment of their AMI and had higher treatment costs than those admitted in low-competition markets.

CONCLUSIONS

The level of managed care activity in the health care market affects the process of care for Medicare fee-for-service AMI patients. Spillovers from managed care activity to patients with other types of insurance are more likely when managed care organizations have greater market power.

Perceptions of patients and physicians regarding phase I cancer clinical trials: implications for physician-patient communication

PURPOSE

To describe and compare the perceptions of cancer patients and their physicians regarding phase I clinical trials.

METHODS

Eligible patients had been offered phase I trial participation and had decided to participate but had not yet begun treatment. Each patient's physician also served as a study subject. Patients and physicians completed questionnaires with domains including perceptions of potential benefit and harm from treatment (experimental and standard), relative value of quality and length of life, and perceived content of patient-physician consultations.

RESULTS

Three hundred twenty-eight patients and 48 physicians completed surveys. Patients had high expectations regarding treatment outcomes (eg, median 60% benefit from experimental therapy), with those choosing to participate in a phase I trial being more optimistic than those declining phase I participation. Patients predicted a higher likelihood of both benefit and adverse reactions from treatment (experimental and standard) than their physicians (P <.0001 for all comparisons). Although 95% of patients reported that quality of life was at least as important as length of life, only 28% reported that changes in quality of life with treatment were discussed with their physicians. In contrast, 73% of physicians reported that this topic was discussed (P <.0001).

CONCLUSION

Cancer patients offered phase I trial participation have expectations for treatment benefit that exceed those of their physicians. The discordant perceptions of patients and physicians may possibly be explained by patient optimism and confidence; however, the discrepancies in reports of consultation content, particularly given patients' stated values regarding quality of life, raise the possibility that communication in this context is suboptimal.

Racial and ethnic disparities in prescription coverage and medication use

This study compared drug coverage and prescription drug use by race and Hispanic ethnicity for Medicare beneficiaries with three chronic conditions: diabetes, hypertension, or heart disease. We found that among beneficiaries without any drug coverage black persons and Hispanics used 10 to 40 percent fewer medications, on average, than white persons with the same illness, and spent up to 60 percent less in total drug costs. Having drug coverage somewhat lessened these differences although the effect was consistent with only M + C prescription benefits. Substantially lower medication use remained for dually eligible black beneficiaries and Hispanics with employer-sponsored drug benefits.

Cystic thyroid lesions in children

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE

Cystic lesions of the thyroid encompass a wide and heterogeneous group of disease states in children, ranging from benign purely cystic entities to malignant tumors. The purpose of this study was to study both the presentation and management of cystic thyroid lesions in the pediatric population.

METHODS

A retrospective review of all thyroid masses presenting between 1978 and 1996 and found to be purely or partially cystic on ultrasound examination was conducted, looking at presentation, family history, laboratory values, ultrasound scan and radionuclide imaging, and pathological and cytological evaluation.

RESULTS

Twenty-four patients (19 girls, 5 boys) aged 6 to 18 years received the diagnosis of cystic lesions of the thyroid. Of these, 23 presented with painless neck masses, 21 were clinically euthyroid, only one had a single abnormal thyroid function test, only two had mildly positive antithyroid antibody test results, and nearly 30% had a positive family history of thyroid disease. Ultrasonography showed pure cysts in five patients and mixed solid cystic lesions in 19 patients. On scintiscan, six lesions were hot, 13 were cold, three showed normal uptake, and two were mixed. Treatment included either observation, aspiration, cyst sclerosis, surgery, or combinations thereof. Pathological and cytological results included follicular adenoma (n = 9), cystic degeneration (n = 6), multinodular goiter (n = 4), carcinoma (n = 2), branchial cleft cyst (n = 1), and undetermined (n = 2).

CONCLUSIONS

Thyroid cysts are often thought to represent benign degenerative disease. Our study, which is the first in the literature to specifically address thyroid cysts in children, shows that ultrasound scan is useful in evaluating thyroid masses, whereas laboratory and radionuclide are of less value, and that single lesions of mixed echogeneity are likely to represent neoplasms, a significant percentage of which are malignant.

Management of head and neck lymphatic malformations in children

Lymphatic malformations (LM) are complex entities. Their development and management remain controversial. A retrospective review of 35 patients treated for lymphatic malformation over a 10-year period (1985-1995) is presented. The demographics of the cases, the method of presentation, treatment modalities, and outcomes are presented. The majority or patients presented at birth, and 83% were treated before the age of 7 years. The most common presentation was an asymptomatic neck mass (74%), of which 54% were in the posterior triangle and 17% were in the submandibular space. The treatment was primarily surgical excision: 22 (63%) patients had total surgical excision, 7 (20%) had partial excision, and 6 (17%) had needle aspiration. A proposal of management is presented.

Academic health centers in competitive markets

Academic health center (AHC) hospitals and other major teaching hospitals have funded a portion of their academic missions through patient care revenues. Using all-payer state discharge data, this DataWatch presents information on how these institutions are being affected by market changes. Although AHCs are not as successful as other hospitals are in attracting managed care patients, competitive pressures had not eroded AHCs' financial status as of 1994. However, increasing enrollment in managed care and potential changes in both Medicare and Medicaid suggest that pressure on the financing of these institutions' social missions will continue to grow over time.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis with medullary carcinoma

The association of Hashimoto's thyroiditis with lymphoma and papillary carcinoma has been recognized, but there have been few reports of an association between Hashimoto's thyroiditis and medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland, especially in Canada. The authors report three cases, seen in an 18-month period, of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and medullary carcinoma in patients whose relatives had multiple endocrine neoplasia type II. The findings support the view that the thyroiditis occurred in response to the tumour process and not vice versa.

Uncoupling of the secretory pathways for IgA and secretory component by cholestasis

Circulating polymeric immunoglobulin A (IgA) binds to secretory component (SC) on the surface of rat hepatocytes and is internalized and transported by vesicles to the canalicular membrane where the IgA-SC complex is secreted into bile. To further characterize this transport pathway, we examined the effects of bile flow reduction or transient bile duct obstruction on the secretion of IgA and SC into bile. In response to gradually increasing resistance to bile flow, the biliary concentration of IgA decreased as bile flow decreased, whereas total biliary protein concentration was little changed. After 2 h of bile duct clamping, the amount of IgA secreted into bile during the postclamp period was decreased to one-tenth of control values. Similarly, transport of biosynthetically labeled monoclonal IgA ([3H]MoIgA) during the postclamp period was reduced three-fold. In contrast to the impairment in IgA secretion, secretion of SC continued at nearly normal levels after resumption of bile flow. The reduced transport of IgA was not due to a failure of IgA to reach the hepatocyte, a functional alteration of the IgA, or a decrease in the number of hepatic IgA receptors. Our studies indicate that secretion of IgA is sensitive to bile flow and that the biliary secretory pathways for IgA and SC are dissociated after brief periods of cholestasis.

Screening of human brain tumors for SV40-related T antigen

A series of 39 human brain tumors has been screened for the presence or absence of SV40-related T antigen by the direct and indirect immunoperoxidase methods. Two tumors of ependymal origin (malignant ependymoma, choroid plexus papilloma) revealed markedly positive nuclear staining for T antigen both in vivo and in vitro. The relationship of these tumors to their experimental counterparts inducible by recent human papovavirus isolates is discussed.