Cancer patients of lower socioeconomic status experienced higher rates of complication, mortality and failure to rescue, according to an article in JAMA Surgery.
Patients in the lowest socioeconomic quintile had a 25.6 percent complication rate, 10.2 percent mortality rate and 26.7 percent failure to rescue rate. On the other hand, patients in the highest quintile had a 23.8 percent complication rate, 7.7 percent mortality rate and 23.2 percent failure to rescue rate.
Additionally, researchers found patients at hospitals treating the largest volumes of low socioeconomic patients experience higher overall failure to rescue rates.
Researchers suggest efforts should be focused on hospital processes to reduce socioeconomic disparities.
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