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  • Disparities in Postoperative Communication Patterns Among Spanish-Speaking Pediatric Patients with Hydrocephalus. The Journal of pediatrics Ruiz Colón, G. D., Pizzitola, R. J., Grant, G. A., Prolo, L. M. 2023: 113678

    Abstract

    To determine if differences exist in postoperative communication patterns or healthcare utilization among English-speaking patients (ESPs) and Spanish-speaking patients (SSPs) with childhood hydrocephalus.A single-institution, retrospective cohort study was conducted. Through simple random sampling, fifty ESPs and fifty SSPs (<18 years old) who underwent a ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) or endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) were identified. Demographics, communication with clinic (eg, number of calls/messages postoperatively), and healthcare utilization were collected. Multiple linear regressions assessed the significance of predictors on communication frequency and utilization.SSPs were more likely to have a comorbidity and VPS than ESPs. SSPs had longer median postoperative length of stay (p<0.01) and 30-day readmission (p<0.01) than ESPs. Only 18% of SSPs communicated with clinic; 11 total calls/messages from SSPs versus 57 from ESPs (p<0.01). The most common reason for outreach among both cohorts was a new symptom. ESP outreach most frequently resulted in reassurance or medical course changes on an outpatient basis (30% ESPs vs. 0% SSPs, p=0.04), whereas SSP outreach most frequently resulted in guidance to present to the emergency department (ED, 3% ESPs vs. 36% SSPs, p<0.01). Language remained a significant predictor for number of calls/messages even after adjusting for comorbidity, operation type, and insurance (p<0.01).Despite having more complex disease, only 18% of SSPs communicated with the neurosurgical team postoperatively and were more frequently sent to the ED for management. Future research will explore communication barriers and preferences to ensure postoperative care is timely and patient-centered.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.jpeds.2023.113678

    View details for PubMedID 37611737