County socioeconomic characteristics and heart transplant outcomes in the United States.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Geographic disparities in survival after heart transplantation have received mixed support in prior studies, and specific geographic characteristics that might be responsible for these differences are unclear. We tested for differences in heart transplant outcomes across United States (US) counties after adjustment for individual-level covariates. Our secondary aim was to evaluate whether specific county-level socioeconomic characteristics explained geographic disparities in survival.

Methods

Data on patients aged ≥18 years undergoing a first-time heart transplant between July 2006 and December 2014 were obtained from the United Network for Organ Sharing. Residents of counties represented by <5 patients were excluded. Patient survival (censored in March 2016) was

SUBMITTER: Tumin D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5705041 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature