Hamrick 2012
Year: 2012
Title: Osteoporosis Healthcare Disparities in Postmenopausal Women
Country: United States
Age: Adult Only
Sex: Female
Population: Black
Care Setting: Outpatient Ambulatory and Primary Care
Clinical Setting: Osteoporosis Screening
Data Level: Single Institution
Data Type: EHR
Data Source: Local data
Conclusion: Disparities In All Minority Groups
Health OutComes Reported: No
Mitigation: No
Free Text Conclusion: Controlling for age and BMI, fewer Black women were referred for DXA screening compared to White women.
Abstract: Background: Previous studies in referral populations have shown that fewer African American women complete dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) screening and are prescribed medications for osteoporosis. This study examines if these disparities exist in primary care practices. Methods: Of 4748 eligible women >= 60 years of age in primary care practices, we randomly selected 500 African American and 500 Caucasian women. We compared the DXA screening referral rate and results, follow-up rate, and medication prescribing for low bone mineral density (BMD) between African American and Caucasian women and analyzed provider demographics. We used logistic regression analysis to control confounding variables, such as age and BMI. Results: Among the initial 1000 women, only 29.8% African American Women were referred to DXA compared to 38.4% Caucasian women (p < 0.05), and 20.8% African American vs. 27.0% Caucasian (p < 0.05) women completed the test. Among women with a diagnosis of osteoporosis, African Americans were less likely to receive medication (79.6% vs. 89.2%, p < 0.05), without a difference in follow-up visit pattern between races. Female providers were more likely to refer women for DXA (27.7%) than male providers (21.7%) (p = 0.035), and this gender difference in referral was more pronounced for African American patients. Conclusions: Not enough eligible women are being screened and treated for osteoporosis in primary care. Even fewer African American women receive DXA screenings and are treated for osteoporosis. Controlling for age and BMI attenuated but did not eliminate the difference. Female providers were more likely than male providers to refer women for DXA.