Evidence has been found linking disparities in post-operative management with poor recovery, quality of life, and mortality outcomes.
Evidence links disparities in post-operative management "with worse functional recovery, quality of life, and mortality outcomes."
But more research is needed into the links between post-operative care and healthcare disparities for surgical patients, researchers affiliated with the American College of Surgeons conclude.
"Few studies have investigated longitudinal outcomes after surgery," the authors write in a study published on the website of the Journal of the American College of Surgery. They reviewed 328 studies.
In the past, researchers had focused on three categories of factors linked to disparities: patient, provider, and systemic.
For this study, they also considered two more: "…the quality of care across hospitals and the impact of variation in hospital quality on surgical outcomes."
Some researchers found that racial and ethnic minorities receive less palliative care, but noted that more research into disparities in end-of-life care is needed.
Looking beyond the operating room, evidence was found linking disparities in post-operative management with poor recovery, quality of life, and mortality outcomes.
'Significant Gaps'
Researchers also concluded that "even in an inpatient setting with equal access to rehabilitation care, racial/ethnic minority patients experience [fewer] functional gains when compared with white patients."
Still, they called research in this area "scarce."
The findings "suggest that, despite significant advances in identifying the presence and etiologies of disparities in surgical outcomes, significant gaps in the literature remain."
Hospital characteristics found to be associated with improved surgical outcomes include:
- Use of quality improvement strategies
- Application of clinical guidelines and surgical protocols,
- Use of supportive technology such as electronic health records, and
- A patient-centered culture that focuses on patient satisfaction and shared decision-making
In April, that National Institutes of Health announced a program to support research into disparities in surgical services.
Projects include an evaluation of the benefits of regionalized care versus "strengthening" of safety-net hospitals.
Researchers will also look at evaluating the long-term effect rehabilitation support on functional outcomes, as well as seeking patient opinions on the quality of surgical care.