"Racial and ethnic disparities in the delivery of guideline-based care are the highest in high-volume hospitals."

Obstet Gynecol. 2017 Jan 9. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0000000000001819. [Epub ahead of print]

Association of Hospital Volume With Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer Treatment.

Uppal S1, Chapman C, Spencer RJ, Jolly S, Maturen K, Rauh-Hain JA, delCarmen MG, Rice LW.

Author information

• 1Division of Gynecologic Oncology, the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, the Department of Radiation Oncology, and the Department of Diagnostic Radiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan; the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin; and the Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate racial-ethnic disparities in guideline-based care in locally advanced cervical cancer and their relationship to hospital case volume.

METHODS:

Using the National Cancer Database, we performed a retrospective cohort study of women diagnosed between 2004 and 2012 with locally advanced squamous or adenocarcinoma of the cervix undergoing definitive primary radiation therapy. The primary outcome was the race-ethnicity-based rates of adherence to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline-based care. The secondary outcome was the effect of guideline-based care on overall survival. Multivariable models and propensity matching were used to compare the hospital risk-adjusted rates of guideline-based adherence and overall survival based on hospital case volume.

RESULTS:

The final cohort consisted of 16,195 patients. The rate of guideline-based care was 58.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] 57.4-59.4%) for non-Hispanic white, 53% (95% CI 51.4-54.9%) for non-Hispanic black, and 51.5% (95% CI 49.4-53.7%) for Hispanic women (P<.001). From 2004 to 2012, the rate of guideline-based care increased from 49.5% (95% CI 47.1-51.9%) to 59.1% (95% CI 56.9-61.2%) (Ptrend<.001). Based on a propensity score-matched analysis, patients receiving guideline-based care had a lower risk of mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 0.65, 95% CI 0.62-0.68). Compared with low-volume hospitals, the increase in adherence to guideline-based care in high-volume hospitals was 48-63% for non-Hispanic white, 47-53% for non-Hispanic black, and 41-54% for Hispanic women.

CONCLUSION:

Racial and ethnic disparities in the delivery of guideline-based care are the highest in high-volume hospitals. Guideline-based care in locally advanced cervical cancer is associated with improved survival.