Using a new index, hospital leaders who decide which procedures are offered by their organization can track how their choices affect patient access, according to findings published in Health Affairs Scholar.
The index was created by drawing from inpatient procedure volume data spanning 18 states, from 2016 to 2019, and more than 80,000 procedures. It also accounted for regional differences, including variations in disease and the access of medical procedures due to those variations, as well as hospital market share.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania's health economics institute created the tool. In its first use, the Procedure Access Inequality index identified access disparities for 40 common hospital procedures, according to a Jan. 29 news release from the Philadelphia-based university.
Less access to these procedures was associated with younger age, fewer comorbidities, Hispanic ethnicity and patients who were less likely to have Medicare coverage. Other factors included procedures that are less common or are offered in fewer hospitals, and procedures that occur in more concentrated hospital markets.
Among 40 inpatient procedures with the highest U.S. volume and high PAI scores, 66% were newer, minimally invasive procedures. These included skin graft, minimally invasive gastrectomy, toe and mid-foot amputation, and minimally invasive pacemaker and defibrillator procedures.