A new retrospective observational study published in Scientific Reports examines the effect of insurance status on mortality following surgical treatment of colorectal cancers (CRC) in the U.S.
“Healthcare disparities in colorectal cancer, driven by insurance status and socioeconomic factors, lead to delayed diagnoses and poor surgical outcomes,” the researchers write. “We sought to examine the impact of insurance status on presentation, treatment, and in-hospital mortality among CRC patients undergoing colectomy using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database.”
The study cohort included over 300,000 patients who were treated from 2005 to 2014. It compares outcomes following open or laparoscopic surgical treatment of colorectal cancer between those with private insurance, those with Medicaid, and those who were uninsured.
“We hypothesized that the uninsured and those with Medicaid would have worse outcomes despite undergoing similar surgeries,” they write. “Our study demonstrates that uninsured patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery experience significantly higher in-hospital mortality rates compared to those with private insurance, with this disparity being more pronounced in urban teaching hospitals. These findings persist even after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical factors, underscoring the impact of financial barriers on surgical outcomes.”
The researchers write that future efforts should “focus on healthcare reforms aimed at closing these gaps, improving early access to care, and ensuring equitable surgical outcomes.”
Read the full study for free here.
