Health Disparities in the Access and Cost of Health Care for Otolaryngologic Conditions.

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate whether race, education, income, or insurance status influences where patients seek medical care and the cost of care for a broad range of otolaryngologic diseases in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, from 2007 to 2015.

SETTING

Nationally representative database.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Patients with 14 common otolaryngologic conditions were identified using self-reported data and diagnosis codes. To analyze disparities in the utilization and cost of otolaryngologic care, a multivariate logistic regression model was used to compare outpatient and emergency department visit rates and costs for African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian patients, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS

Of 78,864 respondents with self-reported otolaryngologic conditions, African American and Hispanic patients were significantly less likely to visit outpatient otolaryngologists than Caucasians (African American: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.57; 95% CI, 0.5-0.65; Hispanic: aOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.56-0.73) and reported lower average costs per emergency department visit than Caucasians (African American: $4013.67; Hispanic: $3906.21; Caucasian: $7606.46; < .001). In addition, uninsured, low-income patients without higher education were significantly less likely to receive outpatient otolaryngologic care than privately insured, higher-income, and more educated individuals (uninsured: aOR, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.29-0.51; poor: aOR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.64-0.87; no degree: aOR, 0.67; 95% CI, 0.54-0.82).

CONCLUSION

In this study, significant racial and socioeconomic discrepancies exist in the utilization and cost of health care for otolaryngologic conditions in the United States.