Silverstein RG, McClurg AB, Moore KJ, Fliss MD, Louie M. Patient characteristics associated with access to minimally invasive gynecologic surgery: Changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
J Minim Invasive Gynecol 2022;
29:1110-1118. [PMID:
35750193 PMCID:
PMC9216549 DOI:
10.1016/j.jmig.2022.06.016]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Study Objective
To evaluate patient characteristics that affect access to minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS) subspecialty care and identify changes during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Design
Retrospective cohort study of patients referred to MIGS from 2014 to 2016 (historic cohort) compared with those referred to MIGS in 2020 (pandemic cohort). Primary outcome was the interval between referral and first appointment.
Setting
Single-institution academic MIGS division.
Patients
Historic cohort (n = 1082) and pandemic cohort (n = 770).
Interventions
Not applicable.
Measurements and Main Results
Demographics and socioeconomic variables (race, ethnicity, language, insurance, employment, and socioeconomic factors by census tract) and distance from hospital were compared between historic and pandemic cohorts with respect to referral interval using the chi-square, Fisher exact tests, and logistic regression. After adjusting for referral indication, being unemployed and living in an area with less population density, less education, and higher percentage of poverty were associated with a referral interval >30 days in the historic cohort. In the pandemic cohort, only unemployment persisted as a covariate associated with prolonged referral interval and new associated variables were primary language other than English (odds ratio, 3.20; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.60–6.40) and “other” race (odds ratio, 2.22; 95% CI, 1.34–3.68). The odds of waiting >30 days increased by 6% with the addition of 1 demographic risk factor (95% CI, 1.01–1.10) and by 17% for 3 risk factors (95% CI, 1.03–1.34) in the historic cohort whereas no significant intersectionality was identified in the pandemic cohort. Average referral intervals were significantly shorter during the pandemic (31 vs 50 days, p <.01). Telemedicine appointments had a significantly shorter referral interval than in-person appointments (27 vs 47 days, p <.01). Of patients using telemedicine, a greater proportion were non-Hispanic, English speaking, employed, privately insured, and lived further from the hospital (p <.05).
Conclusion
Time from referral to first appointment at a tertiary-care MIGS practice during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic was shorter than that before the pandemic, likely owing to the adoption of telemedicine. Differences in socioeconomic and demographic factors suggest that telemedicine improved access to care and decreased access disparities for many populations, but not for non–English-speaking patients.
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