Racial and ethnic differences may impact how women select surgeons and hospitals for breast cancer surgery, ultimately impacting the quality of care they receive, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology.
To examine the differences in surgeon and hospital selection, the researchers surveyed 500 women — including 222 non-Hispanic white women, 142 non-Hispanic black women, 89 English-speaking Hispanic women and 47 Spanish-speaking Hispanic women — from northern California cancer registries with stage 0 to III breast cancer.
The survey included questions to assess the reasons behind surgeon and hospital selection as well as the association between their reasons given and the patients' ratings of their surgeon and hospital.
Highlighted below are five findings from the survey.
- The most frequently reported reason for surgeon selection was referral by another physician (78 percent); the most frequently reported reason for hospital selection was because it was a part of a patient's health plan (58 percent).
- Black (79 percent) and Spanish-speaking Hispanic women (87 percent) were more likely than white women (76 percent) to select their surgeon based on a physician's referral.
- Black (18 percent) and Hispanic patients (22 percent) were less likely than white patients (32 percent) to report selecting their surgeon based on reputation.
- Black (7 percent) and Hispanic women (15 percent) were also less likely than white women (23 percent) to select their hospital based on reputation.
- Women who selected their surgeon based on reputation rated the care from their surgeon as excellent more often than those who reported their surgeon was one of the only surgeons available through the health plan.
Overall, minority patients were less actively involved in surgeon and hospital selection than white patients.
"Assuring thoughtful decision making for provider and hospital selection may be an important element in addressing treatment disparities in cancer and has the potential to be an important focus for interventions," wrote the study authors.
More articles on disparities in care:
Clinical decisions unaffected by unconscious racial, social class biases, survey finds
Study: Integrated care may eliminate racial disparity in cancer survival
Study: Hospital Quality May Contribute to Racial Disparities in Care