Health care utilization of Hispanic/Latino veterans with epilepsy: A national population-based study.
Epilepsia
; 65(6): 1668-1678, 2024 Jun.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38557951
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
Hispanic/Latino people with epilepsy are a growing population that has been understudied in clinical epilepsy research. U.S. veterans are at a higher risk of epilepsy due to greater exposures including traumatic brain injury. Hispanic/Latino Veterans with Epilepsy (HL-VWEs) represent a growing population; however the treatment utilization patterns of this population have been vastly understudied.METHODS:
HL-VWE were identified from administrative databases during fiscal year 2019. Variables compared between Hispanic and non-Hispanic VWEs included demographics, rurality, service era, utilization of clinical services/investigations, and service-connected injury. Chi-square and Student's t tests were used for comparisons.RESULTS:
Among 56 556 VWEs, 3247 (5.7%) were HL. HL-VWEs were younger (59.2 vs 63.2 years; p < .01) and more commonly urban-dwelling (81.6% vs 63.2%, p < .01) compared to non-HL-VWEs. They were also more likely to have served in recent missions such as the Persian Gulf War and post- 9/11 wars (p < .01). HL-VWEs had a higher utilization of all neurology services examined including neurology clinic visits, computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, electroencephalography (EEG), epilepsy monitoring, and comprehensive epilepsy care (p < .01 for all). HL-VWEs were more likely to visit an emergency room or have seizure-related hospitalizations (p < .01). HL-VWEs were more likely to have a service-connected disability greater or equal to 50% (p < .01).SIGNIFICANCE:
This study is one of the largest cohorts examining HL-VWEs. We found higher utilization of services in neurology, epilepsy, and neuroimaging by HL-VWEs. HL-VWE are younger, more commonly urban-dwelling, and more likely to have served during recent combat periods and have higher amounts of service-connected disability. Given that the proportion of Hispanic veterans is projected to rise over time, more research is needed to provide the best interventions and mitigate the long-term impact of epilepsy on this diverse patient group.Key words
Full text:
1
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Veterans
/
Hispanic or Latino
/
Patient Acceptance of Health Care
/
Epilepsy
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
America do norte
Language:
En
Journal:
Epilepsia
Year:
2024
Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States