Racial comparison of outcomes and costs for inpatient neutropenic patients: a multicenter evaluation

Racial disparities have been reported in the care and outcome of cancer patients. We evaluated whether race would influence the cost and outcomes of inpatient neutropenic cancer patients in a multicenter study from a large health care system in the southern United States.

Data was collected on all cancer inpatients with a diagnosis code for neutropenia in a 16-hospital system between October 1, 2002, and September 30, 2003. Demographics, treatment outcomes, and costs were compared between white and minority patients. A P value less than .05 was considered statistically significant.

Two hundred seventy-nine cancer patients (0.29% of all admits) had a diagnosis of neutropenia. Demographics were similar between white and minority patients. However, minorities were more likely to be younger than whites (P = .002). With regards to outcomes, length of stay (LOS), LOS in the intensive care unit, and discharge status were not statistically different. Total hospital, medication, laboratory, radiation, surgery, and respiratory costs were also similar (P > .05), although minorities were less likely to receive myeloid colony-stimulating factors (P = .032) and more likely to have higher nursing care costs (P = .048).

In light of the escalating reports of racial disparities in cancer care, these minimal differences are encouraging.