Racial differences in emergency department use persist despite allergist visits and prescriptions filled for antiinflammatory medications
View abstract on PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.African-American children disproportionately use emergency departments for asthma care. Even after adjustments, this disparity persists, suggesting undertreated asthma may be a key factor.
Area Of Science
- Pediatric Asthma Care
- Health Disparities Research
- Emergency Medicine
Background
- African-American children exhibit higher emergency department (ED) utilization for asthma care compared to Caucasian children.
- Understanding the drivers of these disparities is crucial for equitable healthcare delivery.
Purpose Of The Study
- To investigate racial disparities in emergency department (ED) utilization for asthma care among children.
- To adjust for factors including anti-inflammatory medication use, type of initial asthma visit, and demographic variables.
Main Methods
- A cohort of 4- to 11-year-old managed care enrollees with an index asthma visit was prospectively observed for 12 months.
- Asthma-related encounters and prescription drug claims data were analyzed to assess ED utilization patterns.
Main Results
- African-American race was significantly associated with increased ED visits for asthma (RR=1.8).
- This association remained significant after adjusting for visit type, medication use, and demographics (adjusted RR=1.6).
- African-American children with non-specialist visits showed lower anti-inflammatory medication use (RR=0.5) and higher hospitalization rates post-ED visit (RR=10.2).
Conclusions
- Racial disparities in emergency department (ED) asthma care utilization persist among children, even after statistical adjustments.
- These findings suggest that uncontrolled or undertreated asthma, particularly among African-American children not receiving specialty care, may drive ED overuse.