Health & Fitness - Segregation may affect access to surgery

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Segregation may affect access to surgery

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (UPI) -- High levels of segregation in U.S. counties were linked to decreased surgeries of minority patients, researchers say they have learned.

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, found an increase of just 1 percent in the African-American or Hispanic population was associated with a significant decrease in the availability and utilization of surgical services in the most segregated counties.

In the least segregated counties, small population increases were not associated with significant decreases in surgical resources.

"We hope this report will guide budgetary decisions and incentives by health policy-makers in their bid to close the racial health disparity gap and increase access to surgical health care across racial lines, particularly in the most segregated areas," Dr. Awori Hayanga of the University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor, the study leader, said in a statement.

The study was based on data from the 2004 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Area Resource File -- a nationwide record of healthcare, economic and demographic data.

The 3,219 U.S. counties were categorized as most, moderately or least segregated using the Isolation Index -- a measure of the probability that a member of one minority group will come into contact with members of the same racial group.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

This news arrived on: 06/15/2009

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