Disparities in access to elective surgical procedures during recovery phase of pandemic

Editor's Note

This study from the University of California, San Francisco, finds that patient access to elective surgical procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery phase was limited by disparities based on age, language, marital status, insurance, socioeconomic status, and distance from care.

Among the findings:

• The number of patients with requests for surgical procedures decreased 20.8% from 2019 to 2020, and those speaking non-English, with Medicare or no insurance, and living more than 100 miles away had disproportionately larger decreases.
• Requested procedures had significantly increased adjusted odds ratios of not being scheduled for patients with primary languages other than English, Spanish, or Cantonese; unpartnered marital status; and uninsured or self-pay status.
• Significantly longer wait times were seen for those aged 36 to 65 years, with Medi-Cal insurance, from ZIP codes with lower incomes, and from ZIP codes more than 100 miles away.

The authors note that steps have been taken to address the modifiable disparities.