About The Study: The findings of this study of 33.1 million visits to 989 U.S. hospitals suggest that Black and Hispanic patients are more likely to receive care in hospitals with higher overall discharge against medical advice (DAMA) rates, suggesting interventions should address medical segregation. Structural racism may contribute to emergency department DAMA disparities via unequal allocation of health care resources in hospitals that disproportionately treat racial and ethnic minoritized groups. Monitoring variation in DAMA by race and ethnicity and hospital suggests an opportunity to improve equitable access to health care.
Authors: Jennifer W. Tsai, M.D., M.Ed., of the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, is the corresponding author.
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(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.45437)
