JOURNAL ARTICLE
RESEARCH SUPPORT, U.S. GOV'T, NON-P.H.S.
Add like
Add dislike
Add to saved papers

Treatment and outcomes for congestive heart failure by race/ethnicity in TRICARE.

Medical Care 2011 May
BACKGROUND: Equitable access to health insurance coverage may improve outcomes of care for chronic health conditions and mitigate racial/ethnic health disparities. This study examines racial/ethnic disparities in the treatment and outcomes of care for TRICARE beneficiaries with congestive heart failure (CHF).

METHODS: Using a retrospective cohort analysis, we examined demographic characteristics, sources of care, and comorbid conditions for 2183 beneficiaries of the Military Health System's TRICARE program (representing 115,584 beneficiaries after adjusting for survey weights) with CHF. Treatments included use of CHF-related medications, while the outcome of interest was any CHF-related potentially avoidable hospitalizations (PAHs).

RESULTS: While African Americans were less likely than whites to have received beta blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers following a CHF diagnosis (P<0.0001). Hispanics were, in some cases, equally likely as whites to receive pharmacological treatments for CHF. In multivariate models, there were no significant racial/ethnic differences in the odds of a PAH; age greater than 65 was the most significant predictor of a PAH.

CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that although there are some racial and ethnic disparities in the receipt of pharmacological therapy for CHF among TRICARE beneficiaries, these differences do not translate into disparities in the likelihood of a PAH. The findings support previous research suggesting that equal access to care may mitigate racial/ethnic health disparities.

Full text links

We have located links that may give you full text access.
Can't access the paper?
Try logging in through your university/institutional subscription. For a smoother one-click institutional access experience, please use our mobile app.

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

Mobile app image

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app

All material on this website is protected by copyright, Copyright © 1994-2024 by WebMD LLC.
This website also contains material copyrighted by 3rd parties.

By using this service, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy.

Your Privacy Choices Toggle icon

You can now claim free CME credits for this literature searchClaim now

Get seemless 1-tap access through your institution/university

For the best experience, use the Read mobile app