Understanding the hospital safety net
Hospital resource limitations impact prostate cancer treatment beyond socioeconomic disparities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5489/cuaj.9038Keywords:
Safety Net Hospitals, Prostate Cancer Disparities, Health Care Disparities, Hospital Resource LimitationsAbstract
INTRODUCTION: Safety net hospitals (SNHs) care for a substantial population of vulnerable patients and are often resource-limited. These limitations may impact treatment decisions for high-risk prostate cancer (hPCa). We performed the first population-based analysis examining SNH status and treatment decisions for localized hPCa.
METHODS: National cancer database (NCDB) was queried from 2010-2016 for patients with non-metastatic hPCa. SNH status was defined as hospitals with the 95th percentile of Medicaid and uninsured caseload. Non-curative-intent treatment was defined as androgen deprivation monotherapy (ADT) or no treatment. Outcomes assessed were treatment choice and overall survival (OS) by SNH status.
RESULTS: A total of 95 747 patients with hPCa were included; 112 hospitals were identified as SNHs, with mean Medicaid/uninsured caseload of 24.4% compared to 3.2% at non-SNHs (p<0.01). Patients at SNHs were independently associated with greater odds of non-curativeintent treatment (odds ratio [OR] 2.2, p<0.01). Results were consistent across subgroups: private insurance (OR 2.2, p<0.01), age <65 (OR 2.3, p<0.01), and at academic centers (OR 1.9, p<0.01). There was no difference in OS among SNHs and non-SNHs when patients received curative treatment. Among patients who did not receive curative treatment, OS was greater at SNHs (hazard ratio 0.82, p=0.02).
CONCLUSIONS: Patients at SNHs were more likely to receive non-curative treatment independent of known socioeconomic risk factors. Private insurance or treatment at academic centers did not mitigate these disparities. Increased resources may be needed at SNHs, especially in the context of healthcare expansion, which may further strain these facilities.
Downloads
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
You, the Author(s), assign your copyright in and to the Article to the Canadian Urological Association. This means that you may not, without the prior written permission of the CUA:
- Post the Article on any Web site
- Translate or authorize a translation of the Article
- Copy or otherwise reproduce the Article, in any format, beyond what is permitted under Canadian copyright law, or authorize others to do so
- Copy or otherwise reproduce portions of the Article, including tables and figures, beyond what is permitted under Canadian copyright law, or authorize others to do so.
The CUA encourages use for non-commercial educational purposes and will not unreasonably deny any such permission request.
You retain your moral rights in and to the Article. This means that the CUA may not assert its copyright in such a way that would negatively reflect on your reputation or your right to be associated with the Article.
The CUA also requires you to warrant the following:
- That you are the Author(s) and sole owner(s), that the Article is original and unpublished and that you have not previously assigned copyright or granted a licence to any other third party;
- That all individuals who have made a substantive contribution to the article are acknowledged;
- That the Article does not infringe any proprietary right of any third party and that you have received the permissions necessary to include the work of others in the Article; and
- That the Article does not libel or violate the privacy rights of any third party.
