Racial and ethnic disparities exist in diabetes prevalence, health services utilization, and outcomes including disabling and life-threatening complications among patients with diabetes. Home health care may especially benefit older adults with diabetes through individualized education, advocacy, care coordination, and psychosocial support for patients and their caregivers. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between race/ethnicity and hospital discharge to home health care and subsequent utilization of home health care among a cohort of adults (age 50 and older) who experienced a diabetes-related hospitalization. The study was limited to patients who were continuously enrolled in Medicare for at least 12 months and in the United States. The cohort (n = 786,758) was followed for 14 days after their diabetes-related index hospitalization, using linked Medicare administrative, claims, and assessment data (2014–2016). Multivariate logistic regression models included patient demographics, comorbidities, hospital length of stay, geographic region, neighborhood deprivation, and rural/urban setting. In fully adjusted models, hospital discharge to home health care was significantly less likely among Hispanic (OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.8–0.8) and American Indian (OR 0.8, CI 0.8–0.8) patients compared to White patients. Among those discharged to home health care, all non-white racial/ethnic minority patients were less likely to receive services within 14-days. Future efforts to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in post-acute care outcomes among patients with a diabetes-related hospitalization should include policies and practice guidelines that address structural racism and systemic barriers to accessing home health care services.

Breast cancer incidence is increasing among Asian Indian and Pakistani women living in the United States. We examined the characteristics of breast cancer in Asian Indian and Pakistani American (AIPA) and non‐Hispanic white (NHW) women using data from the surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) program. Breast cancer incidence rates were estimated via segmented Poisson regression using data between 1990 and 2014 from SEER 9 registries, including New Jersey and California. Disease characteristics, treatment and survival information between 2000 and 2016 for 4900 AIPA and 482 250 NHW cases diagnosed after age 18 were obtained from SEER 18 registries and compared using descriptive analyses and multivariable competing risk proportional hazards regression. Breast cancer incidence was lower in AIPA than NHW women, increased with age and the rate of increase declined after age of 46 years. AIPA women were diagnosed at significantly younger age (mean (SD) = 54.5 (13.3) years) than NHW women (mean (SD) = 62 (14) years, P < .0001) and were more likely than NHW cases (P < .0001) to have regional or distant stage, higher grade, estrogen receptor‐negative, progesterone receptor‐negative, triple‐negative or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2‐enriched tumors, subcutaneous or total mastectomy, and lower cumulative incidence of death due to breast cancer (hazard ratio = 0.79, 95% CI: 0.72‐0.86, P < .0001). AIPA had shorter median follow‐up (52 months) than NHW cases (77 months). Breast cancer in AIPA women has unique characteristics that need to be further studied along with a comprehensive evaluation of their follow‐up patterns.

OBJECTIVES To better understand indications for β‐blocker (BB) prescriptions among older adults hospitalized with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). DESIGN/SETTING Retrospective observational study of hospitalizations derived from the geographically diverse Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke cohort. PARTICIPANTS We examined Medicare beneficiaries aged 65 years or older with an expert‐adjudicated hospitalization for HFpEF (left ventricular ejection fraction = 50% or greater). MEASUREMENTS Discharge medications and indications for BBs were abstracted from medical records. RESULTS Of 306 hospitalizations for HFpEF, BBs were prescribed at discharge in 68%. Among hospitalizations resulting in BB prescriptions, 60% had a compelling indication for BB—44% had arrhythmias, and 29% had myocardial infarction (MI) history. Among the 40% with neither indication, 57% had coronary artery disease (CAD) without MI and 38% had hypertension alone (without arrhythmia, MI, or CAD), both clinical scenarios with little supportive evidence of benefit of BBs. Among hospitalizations resulting in BB prescription at discharge, 69% had geriatric conditions (functional limitation, cognitive impairment, hypoalbuminemia, or history of falls). There were no significant differences in the prevalence of geriatric conditions between hospitalizations of individuals with compelling indications for BBs and hospitalizations of individuals with noncompelling indications. CONCLUSIONS BBs are commonly prescribed following a hospitalization for HFpEF, even in the absence of compelling indications. This occurs even for hospitalizations of individuals with geriatric conditions, a subpopulation who may be at elevated risk for experiencing harm from BBs.

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