Review identifies five themes for addressing disparities in surgical care

A systematic review of research into disparities in surgical care in the United States has identified five themes to help guide research into variations in the quality of care and outcomes among patients.1

The reviewers said that surgical mortality among black and Hispanic patients in the US has been shown to be significantly higher compared with white patients for numerous procedures, including abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, coronary artery bypass, trauma care, spine surgery, and bariatric surgery. Black and Hispanic patients were also more likely to experience post-operative complications and had higher readmission rates.

The researchers reviewed 328 US studies on disparities in surgical care …