Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Emergency Department Analgesic Prescription

Overview

Journal Am J Public Health

Specialty Public Health

Date 2003 Dec 4

PMID 14652336

Citations 108

Authors

Joshua H Tamayo-Sarver

Susan W Hinze

Rita K Cydulka

David W Baker

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: We examined racial and ethnic disparities in analgesic prescription among a national sample of emergency department patients.

Methods: We analyzed Black, Latino, and White patients in the 1997-1999 National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Surveys to compare prescription of any analgesics and opioid analgesics by race/ethnicity.

Results: For any analgesic, no association was found between race and prescription; opioids, however, were less likely to be prescribed to Blacks than to Whites with migraines and back pain, though race was not significant for patients with long bone fracture. Differences in opioid use between Latinos and Whites with the same conditions were less and nonsignificant.

Conclusions: Physicians were less likely to prescribe opioids to Blacks; this disparity appears greatest for conditions with fewer objective findings (e.g., migraine).

Citing Articles

Acute pediatric appendicitis in black and white: clinical disparities, impact and future recommendations.

Khan A, Dar M, Nabi R, Ali A, Humayun M, Riaz E Front Pediatr. 2024; 12:1453927.

PMID: 39544339 PMC: 11561711. DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1453927.

Racial biases, facial trustworthiness, and resting heart rate variability: unravelling complexities in pain recognition.

Ceccarelli I, Bagnis A, Ottaviani C, Thayer J, Mattarozzi K Cogn Res Princ Implic. 2024; 9(1):69.

PMID: 39379661 PMC: 11461382. DOI: 10.1186/s41235-024-00588-0.

Assessing Bias Toward a Black or White Simulated Patient with Obesity in a Virtual Reality-Based Genomics Encounter.

Persky S, Hollister B, Martingano A, Dolwick A, Telaak S, Schopp E Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2024; 27(11):815-823.

PMID: 39320333 PMC: 11631797. DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2024.0066.

Differences in opioid prescriptions by race among U.S. older adults with a hip fracture transitioning to community care.

Hayes K, Cupp M, Joshi R, Riester M, Beaudoin F, Zullo A J Am Geriatr Soc. 2024; 72(12):3730-3741.

PMID: 39257240 PMC: 11637942. DOI: 10.1111/jgs.19160.

Identifying Patient Subpopulations with Significant Race-Sex Differences in Emergency Department Disposition Decisions.

Lin P, Argon N, Cheng Q, Evans C, Linthicum B, Liu Y Health Serv Insights. 2024; 17:11786329241277724.

PMID: 39247491 PMC: 11378179. DOI: 10.1177/11786329241277724.

References

Sleath B, Roter D, Chewning B, Svarstad B . Asking questions about medication: analysis of physician-patient interactions and physician perceptions. Med Care. 1999; 37(11):1169-73. DOI: 10.1097/00005650-199911000-00009. View

Nourjah P . National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 1997 emergency department summary. Adv Data. 2000; (304):1-24. View

Todd K, Deaton C, DAdamo A, Goe L . Ethnicity and analgesic practice. Ann Emerg Med. 1999; 35(1):11-6. DOI: 10.1016/s0196-0644(00)70099-0. View

Martin M . Ethnicity and analgesic practice: an editorial. Ann Emerg Med. 1999; 35(1):77-9. DOI: 10.1016/s0196-0644(00)70107-7. View

van Ryn M, Burke J . The effect of patient race and socio-economic status on physicians' perceptions of patients. Soc Sci Med. 2000; 50(6):813-28. DOI: 10.1016/s0277-9536(99)00338-x. View

LaVeist T . On the study of race, racism, and health: a shift from description to explanation. Int J Health Serv. 2000; 30(1):217-9. DOI: 10.2190/LKDF-UJQ5-W1KU-GLR1. View

Morrison R, Wallenstein S, Natale D, Senzel R, Huang L . "We don't carry that"--failure of pharmacies in predominantly nonwhite neighborhoods to stock opioid analgesics. N Engl J Med. 2000; 342(14):1023-6. DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200004063421406. View

Rathore S, Lenert L, Weinfurt K, Tinoco A, Taleghani C, Harless W . The effects of patient sex and race on medical students' ratings of quality of life. Am J Med. 2000; 108(7):561-6. DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9343(00)00352-1. View

Golianu B, Krane E, Galloway K, Yaster M . Pediatric acute pain management. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2000; 47(3):559-87. DOI: 10.1016/s0031-3955(05)70226-1. View

10.

Stone S, Gonzales R, Maselli J, Lowenstein S . Antibiotic prescribing for patients with colds, upper respiratory tract infections, and bronchitis: A national study of hospital-based emergency departments. Ann Emerg Med. 2000; 36(4):320-7. DOI: 10.1067/mem.2000.109341. View

11.

McCaig L . National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 1998 emergency department summary. Adv Data. 2001; (313):1-23. View

12.

LaVeist T, Nickerson K, Bowie J . Attitudes about racism, medical mistrust, and satisfaction with care among African American and white cardiac patients. Med Care Res Rev. 2000; 57 Suppl 1:146-61. DOI: 10.1177/1077558700057001S07. View

13.

Gorman C . Feel no pain. What you need to know about the new rules for treating pain at hospitals and other facilities. Time. 2001; 157(1):76. View

14.

DAgostino Sr R, Grundy S, Sullivan L, Wilson P . Validation of the Framingham coronary heart disease prediction scores: results of a multiple ethnic groups investigation. JAMA. 2001; 286(2):180-7. DOI: 10.1001/jama.286.2.180. View

15.

Bonham V . Race, ethnicity, and pain treatment: striving to understand the causes and solutions to the disparities in pain treatment. J Law Med Ethics. 2001; 29(1):52-68. DOI: 10.1111/j.1748-720x.2001.tb00039.x. View

16.

Ross C, DUFF R . Returning to the doctor: the effect of client characteristics, type of practice, and experiences with care. J Health Soc Behav. 1982; 23(2):119-31. View

17.

Pfefferbaum B, Adams J, Aceves J . The influence of culture on pain in Anglo and Hispanic children with cancer. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 1990; 29(4):642-7. DOI: 10.1097/00004583-199007000-00020. View

18.

Zatzick D, Dimsdale J . Cultural variations in response to painful stimuli. Psychosom Med. 1990; 52(5):544-57. DOI: 10.1097/00006842-199009000-00007. View

19.

Greenwald H . Interethnic differences in pain perception. Pain. 1991; 44(2):157-163. DOI: 10.1016/0304-3959(91)90130-P. View

20.

Todd K, Samaroo N, Hoffman J . Ethnicity as a risk factor for inadequate emergency department analgesia. JAMA. 1993; 269(12):1537-9. View