Racial differences in low value care among older adult Medicare patients in US health systems: retrospective cohort study.
Ishani GanguliMatthew B MackwoodChing-Wen Wendy YangMaia CrawfordKathleen L MulliganA James O'MalleyElliott S FisherNancy E MordenPublished in: BMJ (Clinical research ed.) (2023)
Black patients were more likely to receive low value acute diagnostic tests and White patients were more likely to receive low value screening tests and treatments. Differences were generally small and were largely due to differential care within health systems. These patterns suggest potential individual, interpersonal, and structural factors that researchers, policy makers, and health system leaders might investigate and address to improve care quality and equity.