Ethnic Differences in Discharge Destination Among Older Patients With Traumatic Brain Injury
Abstract
Chang P-F, Ostir GV, Kuo Y-F, Granger CV, Ottenbacher KJ. Ethnic differences in discharge destination among older patients with traumatic brain injury.
Objective
To estimate the association between ethnicity and discharge destination in older patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Design
A retrospective analysis.
Setting
Nationally representative sample of older patients from the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation in 2002 and 2003.
Participants
Patients (N=9240) aged 65 years or older who received inpatient rehabilitation services for TBI.
Interventions
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures
Discharge destination (home, assisted living facility, institution) and ethnicity (white, black, Hispanic).
Results
Multinomial logit models showed that older Hispanics (odds ratio [OR]=2.24; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.66–3.02) and older blacks (OR=2; 95% CI, 1.55–2.59) with TBI were significantly more likely to be discharged home than older whites with TBI, after adjusting for relevant risk factors. Older blacks were also 78% less likely (OR=.22; 95% CI, .08–.60) to be discharged to an assisted living facility than whites after adjusting for relevant risk factors.
Conclusions
Our findings indicate that older minority patients with TBI were significantly more likely to be discharged home than white patients with TBI. Studies are needed to investigate underlying factors associated with this ethnic difference.
aDivision of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
bSealy Center on Aging and Department of Preventive Medicine and Community Health, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX
cUniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY.
Reprint requests to Pei-Fen J. Chang, PhD, OTR, Div of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555-1137
Supported by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (grant nos. K02-AG019736, K01-HD046682, R01-AG024806).
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit upon the authors or upon any organization with which the authors are associated.
ABSTRACT