Interstate Variation in Receipt of Nephrologist Care in US Patients Approaching ESRD: Race, Age, and State Characteristics.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

Although multiple factors influence access to nephrologist care in patients with CKD stages 4-5, the geographic determinants within the United States are incompletely understood. In this study, we examined interstate differences in nephrologist care among patients approaching ESRD.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

This national, population-based analysis included 373,986 adult patients from the US Renal Data System, who initiated maintenance dialysis between 2005 and 2009. Multilevel logistic regression was used to examine interstate variation in nephrologist care (≥12 months before ESRD) for overall and four race-age subpopulations (black or white and older or younger than 65 years).

Results

The average state-level probability o

SUBMITTER: Yan G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4633785 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature