Assessing between- and within-hospital differences in patient safety between Medicaid and privately insured hospital patients. September 18, 2024

https://psnet.ahrq.gov/issue/assessing-between-and-within-hospital-differences-patient-safety-between-medicaid-and Assessing between- and within-hospital differences in patient safety between Medicaid and privately insured hospital patients. Gangopadhyaya A. J Patient Saf. 2024;Epub Aug 2024. Patients from disadvantaged groups (e.g., patients of color, low income, non-English speaking) experience poorer medical outcomes. This study used hospital discharge data from nearly 2.1 million discharges for Medicaid and privately insured patients. Patients with Medicaid were more likely to be younger, Black or Hispanic, living in low-income neighborhoods, and have more comorbidities than patients with private insurance. When compared with privately insured patients, Medicaid patients experienced significantly higher rates of pressure injuries, catheter-related infections, and six-out-of-seven surgery-related safety indicators. This held true when adjusted for patient demographics, comorbidities, and location.