Do Hospital Characteristics Predict Racial-and-Ethnic Disparities in Patient Experience? National Results From the HCAHPS Survey.

Objective: Assess whether hospital characteristics associated with better patient experiences overall are also associated with smaller racial-and-ethnic disparities in inpatient experience.

Background: Hospitals that are smaller, non-profit, and serve high proportions of White patients tend to be high-performing overall, but it is not known whether these hospitals also have smaller racial-and-ethnic disparities in care.

Research Design: We used linear mixed-effect regression models to predict a summary measure that averaged eight Hospital CAHPS (HCAHPS) measures (Nurse Communication, Doctor Communication, Staff Responsiveness, Communication about Medicines, Discharge Information, Care Coordination, Hospital Cleanliness, and Quietness) from patient race-and-ethnicity, hospital characteristics (size, ownership, racial-and-ethnic patient-mix), and interactions of race-and-ethnicity with hospital characteristics.

Prevalence of Self-Reported Kidney Disease in Older Adults by Sexual Orientation: Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Analysis (2014-2019).

Significance Statement: Studies discusses CKD disparities by age, race and ethnicity, and socioeconomics. However, despite well-documented disparities in CKD risk factors in LGBT+ adults, limited literature addresses CKD prevalence in this population. This analysis uses Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2014-2019) data to compare self-reported kidney disease prevalence in LGBT+ older adults (older than 50 years) with their heterosexual peers.

Follow-up Post-discharge and Readmission Disparities Among Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries, 2018.

Background: Previous studies have identified disparities in readmissions among Medicare beneficiaries hospitalized for the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program's (HRRP's) priority conditions. Evidence suggests timely follow-up is associated with reduced risk of readmission, but it is unknown whether timely follow-up reduces disparities in readmission.

Objective: To assess whether follow-up within 7 days after discharge from a hospitalization reduces risk of readmission and mitigates identified readmission disparities.