Racial and ethnic disparities in the emergency department: a public health perspective

This article discusses racial and ethnic disparities from a public health perspective, specifically why they threaten to impede the efforts to improve the nation's health. The authors (1) provide background information, including a review of the Institute of Medicine report on health care disparities; (2) describe the racial and ethnic compositions of the individuals in the emergency department setting from the perspective of both the patient and health care provider; (3) discuss the most prevalent disease presentations to the emergency department that are likely to have racial and ethnic disparities; and (4) give conclusions and general recommendations on how to address disparities in emergency health care.     

Early detection and treatment of postnatal depression in primary care

BACKGROUND: Postnatal depression has a relatively high incidence and gives rise to considerable morbidity. There is sound evidence supporting the use of the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale as a screening tool for possible postnatal depression. AIM: This paper reports on a project developed by two health visitors and a community mental health nurse working in the United Kingdom. The aim of the project was to improve the early detection and treatment of postnatal depression in the population of the general practice to which they were attached. METHOD: The health visitors screened for postnatal depression in the course of routine visits on four occasions during the first postpartum year. Women identified as likely to be suffering from postnatal depression were offered 'listening visits' as a first-line intervention, with referral on to the general practitioner and/or community mental health nurse if indicated. FINDINGS: Data collected over 3 years showed that the project succeeded in its aim of enhancing early detection and treatment of postnatal depression. These findings replicate those of other studies. The data also showed that a substantial number of women were identified for the first time as likely to be suffering from postnatal depression at 12 months postpartum. Women screened for the first time at 12 months were at greater risk than those who had been screened earlier than this. CONCLUSIONS: Health visitors should screen for postnatal depression throughout the period of their contact with mothers, not solely in the immediate postnatal period. It is particularly important to screen women who, for whatever reason, were not screened when their child was younger. The knowledge and skills needed to use the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and provide first-line intervention and onward referral can be developed at practitioner level through close collaborative working.     

Racial disparities in job strain among American and immigrant long-term care workers

HURTADO D.A., SABBATH E.L., ERTEL K.A., BUXTON O.M. & BERKMAN L.F. (2012) Racial disparities in job strain among American and immigrant long‐term care workers. International Nursing Review 59 , 237–244 Background: Nursing homes are occupational settings, with an increasing minority and immigrant workforce where several psychosocial stressors intersect. Aim: This study aimed to examine racial/ethnic differences in job strain between Black (n = 127) and White (n = 110) immigrant and American direct‐care workers at nursing homes (total n = 237). Methods: Cross‐sectional study with data collected at four nursing homes in Massachusetts during 2006‐2007. We contrasted Black and White workers within higher‐skilled occupations such as registered nurses or licensed practical nurses (n = 82) and lower‐skilled staff such as certified nursing assistants (CNAs, n = 155). Results: Almost all Black workers (96%) were immigrants. After adjusting for demographic and occupational characteristics, Black employees were more likely to report job strain, compared with Whites [relative risk (RR): 2.9, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3 to 6.6]. Analyses stratified by occupation showed that Black CNAs were more likely to report job strain, compared with White CNAs (RR: 3.1, 95% CI: 1.0 to 9.4). Black workers were also more likely to report low control (RR: 2.1, 95% CI: 1.1 to 4.0). Additionally, Black workers earned $2.58 less per hour and worked 7.1 more hours per week on average, controlling for potential confounders. Conclusion: Black immigrant workers were 2.9 times more likely to report job strain than White workers, with greater differences among CNAs. These findings may reflect differential organizational or individual characteristics but also interpersonal or institutional racial/ethnic discrimination. Further research should consider the role of race/ethnicity in shaping patterns of occupational stress.     

Management of depression and anxiety in primary care practice

Skillful management of depression and anxiety will greatly increase the primary physician's therapeutic impact on his practice. He will, as his skills increase, become a resource person who is able to provide a broader spectrum of medical service to his patients. If family practice is to grow as a legitimate field, its practitioners will need to include the treatment of all of the common disorders in their therapeutic armamentarium, psychiatric as well as organic. The referral of all significant emotional problems to a specialist clearly violates this concept. The primary care physician with proper training can become an effective source of mental health care and in so doing will provide his patients with effective treatment in a familiar, secure, and trusted milieu.     

Racial and ethnic differences in the mental health problems and use of mental health care

OBJECTIVES: We compared rates of mental health problems and use of mental health care across multiple racial and ethnic groups using secondary data from a large, nationally representative survey. METHODS: We pooled cross-sectional data from the 2001-2003 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health. Our sample included 134,875 adults classified as white, African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Asian, Mexican, Central and South American, Puerto Rican, other Hispanic-Latino, or those with multiple race and ethnicities. For each group, we estimate the past year probability of: (1) having 1 or more mental health symptoms in the past year, (2) having serious mental illness in the past year, (3) using mental health care, (4) using mental health care conditional on having mental health problems, (5) reporting unmet need for mental health care, and (6) reporting unmet need for mental health care conditional on having mental health problems. RESULTS: We found significantly higher rates of mental health problems and higher self-reported unmet need relative to whites among American Indian/Alaskan Natives and lower rates of mental health problems and use of mental health care among African American, Asian, Mexican, Central and South American, and other Hispanic-Latino groups. These differences generally were robust to the inclusion of clinical and socio demographic covariates. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, our study shows wide variation in mental health morbidity and use of mental health care across racial and ethnic groups in the United States. These results can help to focus efforts aimed at understanding the underlying causes of the differences we observe.     

Racial/ethnic health disparities in South Carolina and the role of rural locality and educational attainment

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of selected health indicators were compared among the Catawba Indians, African Americans, and whites in South Carolina, considering the possible role of rural locality and education. METHODS: Catawba members were respondents of a 1998 survey (N = 808). Other South Carolina residents were respondents of the 1995-1997 Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (4,150 whites and 1,413 African Americans). Prevalence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, overweight, poor health, smoking, physical inactivity, and poor diet were compared among the racial/ethnic groups. Logistic regression analyses were conducted within strata of urban/rural locality and education to determine whether these factors were associated with the adverse health indicators. RESULTS: Both Catawba and African Americans had higher prevalence of diabetes, hypertension, overweight, poor health, physical inactivity, and poor diet than whites. In addition, prevalence of diabetes, poor health, smoking, and poor diet were higher among the Catawba than among African Americans. Restricting the analyses to comparisons within urban/rural locality had little effect, whereas restricting the analyses to comparisons by education level eliminated many of the disparities among those with low education. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of chronic disease and adverse health behavior are higher among the Catawba than among other residents of South Carolina, especially compared with white residents.     

Tackling anxiety and depression in older people in primary care

Epidemiological studies suggest that anxiety and depression are less common in older than younger adults. One in ten people aged > or = 65 fulfils the diagnostic criteria for at least one common mental disorder. Older depressed patients have an increased risk of both cardiac and all-cause mortality. Both anxiety and depression in older patients are often unrecognised and untreated, and have a poor prognosis. There is a progressive decline in the prevalence of common mental disorders above the age of 55. Anxiety and depression often occur together, and share many risk factors. However, anxiety tends to follow threats or traumatic events, whereas depression follows loss events. Chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, pain and functional disability are risk factors for the onset of depression, but not anxiety. Depression is between two and three times more common among those with a chronic physical health problem. Even patients with major depression often remain unrecognised and untreated. Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is by far the most common anxiety disorder in older people but most GAD patients are not recognised in primary care and only a third of them receive any form of treatment. Older patients often deny feeling anxious or depressed and are more likely to present with insomnia, irritability, agitation and multiple somatic complaints. GPs may erroneously believe that depression is a normal reaction to the losses of old age, and may be reluctant to initiate treatment. A good case can be made for replacing the PHQ-9 with the 15-item version of the Geriatric Depression Scale which almost entirely avoids somatic questions. This is a screening not a diagnostic tool and does not evaluate symptom severity.     

Racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 disease burden & mortality among emergency department patients in a safety net health system

BackgroundWe sought to examine racial and ethnic disparities in test positivity rate and mortality among emergency department (ED) patients tested for COVID-19 within an integrated public health system in Northern California.MethodsIn this retrospective study we analyzed data from patients seen at three EDs and tested for COVID-19 between April 6 through May 4, 2020. The primary outcome was the test positivity rate by race and ethnicity, and the secondary outcome was 30 day in-hospital mortality. We used multivariable logistic regression to examine associations with COVID-19 test positivity.ResultsThere were 526 patients tested for COVID-19, of whom 95 (18.1%) tested positive. The mean age of patients tested was 54.2 years, 54.7% were male, and 76.1% had at least one medical comorbidity. Black patients accounted for 40.7% of those tested but 16.8% of the positive tests, and Latinx patients accounted for 26.4% of those tested but 58.9% of the positive tests. The test positivity rate among Latinx patients was 40.3% (56/139) compared with 10.1% (39/387) among non-Latinx patients (p < 0.001). Latinx ethnicity was associated with COVID-19 test positivity (adjusted odds ratio 9.6, 95% confidence interval: 3.5–26.0). Mortality among Black patients was higher than non-Black patients (18.7% vs 1.3%, p < 0.001).ConclusionWe report a significant disparity in COVID-19 adjusted test positivity rate and crude mortality rate among Latinx and Black patients, respectively. Results from ED-based testing can identify racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 testing, test positivity rates, and mortality associated with COVID-19 infection and can be used by health departments to inform policy.     

Resolving disparities in antidepressant treatment and quality-of-life outcomes between uninsured and insured primary care patients with depression

BACKGROUND: Efforts to improve primary care depression treatment should penetrate to vulnerable uninsured populations. OBJECTIVE: To assess a primary care intervention's impact on treatment and quality-of-life outcomes in uninsured and insured depressed patients during the acute treatment phase. RESEARCH DESIGN: Twelve community primary care practices were randomized to 'enhanced' (intervention) and usual care conditions. Physicians, nurses and administrative staff in enhanced care practices received training to improve detection and management of depression. SUBJECTS: In 1996 to 1997, 383 nonelderly depressed patients who were either uninsured or covered by private insurance/Medicaid were enrolled; 343 (89.6%) completed six-month follow-up. MEASURES: Adequate pharmacotherapy (>or=3 months of antidepressants at therapeutic doses); adequate psychotherapy (>or=8 counseling visits); improvement in mental-health-related-quality-of-life (MHQOL), assessed by Mental Component Summary scale for SF-36. RESULTS: Multivariate results showed that 54.6% of uninsured enhanced care (UEC) patients received adequate pharmacotherapy, compared with 14.3% of uninsured usual care (UUC) patients (P = 0.0005); however, receipt of adequate psychotherapy was comparable between these two groups (18.2% UEC, 11.9% UUC; P = 0.42). Intervention effects on insured patients' treatment were modest to minimal. Among usual care patients, the insured had 5.4 points greater improvement in MHQOL at 6 months than the uninsured (12.4 points insured, 7.0 points uninsured; P = 0.02); however, among patients receiving the intervention, the insured and uninsured had comparable MHQOL improvement (12.3 points insured, 11.6 points uninsured; P = 0.76). CONCLUSIONS: The intervention improved antidepressant treatment rates in uninsured patients and helped resolve quality-of-life outcome disparities observed between insured and uninsured patients receiving usual care.