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Racial/ethnic variations in physician recommendations for cardiac revascularization
Said A Ibrahim1, Jeff Whittle, Bevanne Bean-Mayberry
1Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, Pittsburgh VA Healthcare System, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15240, USA.said.ibrahim2@med.va.gov
Objectives:
We sought to examine whether physician recommendations for cardiac revascularization vary according to patient race.
Methods:
We studied patients scheduled for coronary angiography at 2 hospitals, one public and one private, between November 1997 and June 1999. Cardiologists were interviewed regarding their recommendations for cardiac resvacularization.
Results:
African American patients were less likely than Whites to be recommended for revascularization at the public hospital (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 0.31; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.12, 0.77) but not at the private hospital (adjusted OR = 1.69; 95% CI = 0.69, 4.14).
Conclusions:
Physician recommendations for cardiac revascularization vary by patient race. Further studies are needed to examine physician bias as a factor in racial disparities in cardiac care and outcomes.