Retrospective Cohort Study to Determine the Effect of Socioeconomic Status and Distance to Hospital on Negative...

Area of Science:

• Medical research
• Surgical outcomes
• Rural health

Background:

• Socioeconomic status (SES) and hospital proximity are known health determinants in rural areas.
• The influence of SES and distance on negative appendicectomy rates remains unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if socioeconomic status and road distance to the hospital are risk factors for negative appendicectomy.
• To analyze the relationship between patient characteristics and appendicectomy outcomes in a rural setting.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of appendicectomy cases (2018-2022) at a rural Australian hospital.
• Extraction of patient data from electronic medical records.
• Regression modeling to assess the impact of SES and road distance on negative appendicectomy rates.

Main Results:

• Out of 830 patients, 106 (12.8%) underwent negative appendicectomy.
• Neither socioeconomic status (OR=1.004, P=0.583) nor road distance (OR=1, P=0.635) significantly impacted negative appendicectomy rates.
• No significant differences in complications or readmissions were observed between negative and positive appendicectomy groups.

Conclusions:

• In rural settings, lower socioeconomic status and greater distance to hospital do not elevate the risk of negative appendicectomy.
• Findings challenge assumptions about surgeons operating with a lower threshold for patients with limited access to healthcare.
• This research highlights equitable surgical decision-making irrespective of socioeconomic factors or geographical barriers in rural appendicectomy cases.