Disparities in access to high-volume centers and in hospital discharge status following radical cystectomy in Florida.

INTRODUCTION: Centralization of radical cystectomy (RC) improves outcomes but may unintentionally exacerbate existing disparities in care. Our objective was to assess disparities in access to high-volume RC centers and in postoperative recovery. METHODS: We identified RC patients in the Florida Inpatient Data File from 2013 to 2019. Hospital annual cystectomy volume was categorized as low, medium, or high using data-derived 75th and 90th quantiles: <5, 5 to 13, and >13 RC/year. Outcomes included inpatient mortality, non-home discharge, in-hospital complications, length of stay (LOS) and surgery in a low-volume hospital. Mixed-effects regression models accounting for clustering within centers were utilized. RESULTS: Among 4,396 patients treated at 105 centers, RC at a high-volume center was associated with lower odds of mortality, non-home discharge, shorter length of stay and fewer complications (all P ≤ 0.001). Characteristics associated with receiving care in a low-volume hospital included Black race (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.14-2.39), Hispanic/Latino ethnicity (OR 1.74, 95% CI 1.32-2.00), and residing in northeast (OR 2.11, 95% CI 1.58-2.80) or west Florida (OR 1.34, 95% CI 1.05-1.71). Black patients had increased odds of non-home discharge (OR 1.91, 95% CI 1.27-2.86) and longer LOS (IRR 1.17, 95% CI 1.08-1.27), but no difference in the rate or number of postoperative complications (P > 0.2). CONCLUSION: In Florida, we observed racial and geographic disparities in likelihood of undergoing RC at a high-volume hospital, and that Black patients experienced longer LOS and lower odds of home discharge despite similar rates of complications. Efforts to increase access to high-value RC care for these vulnerable populations are needed.

The Association Between Mood and Anxiety Disorders With Perioperative Outcomes Following Radical Cystectomy.

OBJECTIVE: To identify associations between preoperative psychiatric diagnoses and perioperative outcomes after RC. METHODS: The Florida Inpatient Data File was used to identify patients who underwent RC from 2013 to 2019. ICD-10 codes for a mood or anxiety disorder were identified and analyzed as a 3-level variable: neither, one of these, or both. Outcomes included inpatient mortality, non-home discharge, in-hospital complications, and length of stay. Mixed-effects logistic regression (accounting for clustering within hospitals) and negative binomial regression models were utilized. RESULTS: We identified 4396 RC patients, including 306 (7.0%) with a mood disorder and 389 (8.8%) with an anxiety disorder. After multivariable adjustment, there was no significant association between mood and/or anxiety disorders with mortality or the presence or number of in-hospital complications. However, a mood or anxiety disorder was significantly associated with increased odds of non-home discharge (OR 1.60, 95% CI 1.20-2.14) and longer length of stay (IRR 1.13, 95% CI 1.07-1.19); these associations were also increased among patients with both mood and anxiety disorder diagnoses (non-home discharge OR 2.66, 95% CI 1.61-4.38; length of stay IRR 1.12, 95% CI 1.01-1.24). CONCLUSION: Patients with mood and/or anxiety disorders undergoing RC had longer length of stay and increased odds of discharge to a non-home facility despite similar risks of perioperative complications. These data suggest an opportunity for perioperative intervention to address these disparities in postoperative outcomes. However, further work is needed to determine the underlying causes of these differences and to develop effective interventions.