Ethnicity and Race Variations in Receipt of Surgery among Veterans with and without Depression

• Main Authors: Laurel A. Copeland, John E. Zeber, Mary Jo Pugh, Karon L. Phillips, Valerie A. Lawrence
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hindawi Limited 2011-01-01
• Series: Depression Research and Treatment
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2011/370962

To examine equity in one aspect of care provision in the Veterans Health Administration, this study analyzed factors associated with receipt of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), vascular, hip/knee, or digestive system surgeries during FY2006–2009. A random sample of patients (N=317,072) included 9% with depression, 17% African-American patients, 5% Hispanics, and 5% women. In the four-year followup, 18,334 patients (6%) experienced surgery: 3,109 hip/knee, 3,755 digestive, 1,899 CABG, and 11,330 vascular operations. Patients with preexisting depression were less likely to have surgery than nondepressed patients (4% versus 6%). In covariate-adjusted analyses, minority patients were slightly less likely to receive vascular operations compared to white patients (Hispanic OR=0.88, P<.01 ; African-American OR=0.93, P<.01) but more likely to undergo digestive system procedures. Some race-/ethnicity-related disparities of care for cardiovascular disease may persist for veterans using the VHA.