The following is a summary of “Nationwide racial/ethnic disparities in US emergency department visits and hospitalizations for gout,” published in the June 2023 issue of Rheumatology by Yokose, et al.

For a study, researchers sought to investigate racial and ethnic disparities in gout-related healthcare utilization in the United States. Specifically, they aimed to compare the rates of emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations for gout among different racial and ethnic groups, including White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic patients. Additionally, they aimed to assess the mean costs associated with gout encounters for each racial and ethnic group.

For the cross-sectional study, they used the 2019 US National Emergency Department Sample and National Inpatient Sample databases to analyze data related to gout utilization. They compared the annual population rates of ED visits and hospitalizations for gout per 100,000 US adults in various racial and ethnic groups, adjusting for age and sex using 2019 age- and sex-specific US census data. The study also examined the rates of gout-related ED visits and hospitalizations in relation to all US ED visits and hospitalizations.

In comparison to White patients, the age- and sex-adjusted rate ratio (RR) of gout primary emergency department (ED) visits for Black patients was 5.01 (95% CI 4.96, 5.06), for Asian patients was 1.29 (1.26, 1.31), and for Hispanic patients was 1.12 (1.10, 1.13). For gout primary hospitalizations, the RRs were 4.07 (95% CI 3.90, 4.24) for Black patients, 1.46 (1.34, 1.58) for Asian patients, and 1.06 (0.99, 1.13) for Hispanic patients, respectively. The corresponding RRs among total US hospitalizations were 3.17 (95% CI 2.86, 3.50) for Black patients, 3.23 (2.71, 3.85) for Asian patients, and 1.43 (1.21, 1.68) for Hispanic patients. Among total ED visits, the RRs were 2.66 (95% CI 2.50, 2.82) for Black patients, 3.28 (2.64, 4.08) for Asian patients, and 1.14 (1.05, 1.24) for Hispanic patients. Notably, the RRs were highest among Black women. Furthermore, ED visit and hospitalization costs varied by race/ethnicity, displaying similar disparities.

The study findings revealed significant disparities in gout-related healthcare utilization among underserved racial and ethnic groups, particularly among Black women. The results emphasized the urgent need for improved care and targeted interventions to address and eliminate inequities in gout outcomes among different racial and ethnic populations in the United States.

Source: academic.oup.com/rheumatology/article-abstract/62/6/2247/6758242?redirectedFrom=fulltext