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Racial and Ethnic Differences in Pediatric Readmissions for Common Chronic Conditions

Parikh K, Berry J, Hall M, Mussman GM, Montalbano A, Thomson J, Morse R, Wilson KM et al.

The Journal of pediatrics, 2017

5,882 participants

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To compare the timing and magnitude of variation of pediatric readmission rates across race/ethnicity for selected chronic conditions: asthma, diabetes, seizures, migraines, and depression.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of hospitalizations at 48 children's hospitals in the 2013 Pediatric Health Information System database for children (ages 0-18 years) admitted for asthma (n = 36 910), seizure (n = 35 361), diabetes (n = 12 468), migraine (n = 5882), and depression (n = 5132). Generalized linear models with a random effect for hospital were used to compare the likelihood of readmission by patients' race/ethnicity, adjusting for severity of illness, age, payer, and medical complexity. Adjusted readmission rates were calculated by week over 1 year.

RESULTS: Significant variation in adjusted readmission rates by race/ethnicity existed for conditions aside from depression. Disparities for diabetes and asthma emerged at 3 and 4 weeks, respectively; they remained divergent up to 1 year with the highest 1-year readmission rates in non-Hispanic blacks vs other race/ethnicities (diabetes: 21.7% vs 13.4%, P < .001; asthma: 21.4% vs 14.6%, P < .001). Disparities for migraines and seizure emerged at 6 and 7 weeks, respectively; they remained up to 1 year, with the highest 1-year readmission rates in non-Hispanic whites vs other race/ethnicities (migraine: 17.3% vs 13.6%, P < .001; seizure: 23.9% vs 21.9%, P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS: Readmission disparities behave…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 5,882 participants or records.

How the five levels of evidence work. The level is assigned automatically from the abstract and can be wrong, so check the paper.

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