Shoou-Yih D Lee1,2, Jie Xiang2, Abhijit V Kshirsagar3, Diane Steffick2, Rajiv Saran2,4, Virginia Wang5,6,7. 1. Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 2. Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 3. University of North Carolina Kidney Center and Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. 4. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, Michigan. 5. Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina. 6. Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina. 7. Durham Center of Innovation to Accelerate Discovery and Practice Transformation, Durham Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Durham, North Carolina.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Because functioning permanent vascular access (arteriovenous fistula [AVF] or arteriovenous graft [AVG]) is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes for those on hemodialysis, the supply of physicians placing vascular access is key. We investigated whether area-level demographic and healthcare market attributes were associated with the distribution and supply of AVF/AVG access physicians in the United States. METHODS: A nationwide registry of physicians placing AVFs/AVGs in 2015 was created using data from the United States Renal Data System and the American Physician Association's Physician Masterfile. We linked the registry information to the Area Health Resource File to assess the supply of AVF/AVG access physicians and their professional attributes by hospital referral region (HRR). Bivariate analysis and Poisson regression were performed to examine the relationship between AVF/AVG access physician supply and demographic, socioeconomic, and health resource conditions of HRRs. The setting included all 50 states. The main outcome was supply of AVF/AVG access physicians, defined as the number of physicians performing AVF and/or AVG placement per 1000 prevalent patients with ESKD. RESULTS: The majority of vascular access physicians were aged 45-64 (average age, 51.6), male (91%), trained in the United States (76%), and registered in a surgical specialty (74%). The supply of physicians varied substantially across HRRs. The supply was higher in HRRs with a higher percentage white population (β=0.44; SEM=0.14; P=0.002), lower unemployment rates (β=-10.74; SEM=3.41; P=0.002), and greater supply of primary care physicians (β=0.18; SEM=0.05; P=0.001) and nephrologists (β=15.89; SEM=1.22; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Geographic variation was observed in the supply of vascular access physicians. Higher supply of such specialist physicians in socially and economically advantaged areas may explain disparities in vascular access and outcomes in the United States and should be the subject of further study and improvement.
BACKGROUND: Because functioning permanent vascular access (arteriovenous fistula [AVF] or arteriovenous graft [AVG]) is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes for those on hemodialysis, the supply of physicians placing vascular access is key. We investigated whether area-level demographic and healthcare market attributes were associated with the distribution and supply of AVF/AVG access physicians in the United States. METHODS: A nationwide registry of physicians placing AVFs/AVGs in 2015 was created using data from the United States Renal Data System and the American Physician Association's Physician Masterfile. We linked the registry information to the Area Health Resource File to assess the supply of AVF/AVG access physicians and their professional attributes by hospital referral region (HRR). Bivariate analysis and Poisson regression were performed to examine the relationship between AVF/AVG access physician supply and demographic, socioeconomic, and health resource conditions of HRRs. The setting included all 50 states. The main outcome was supply of AVF/AVG access physicians, defined as the number of physicians performing AVF and/or AVG placement per 1000 prevalent patients with ESKD. RESULTS: The majority of vascular access physicians were aged 45-64 (average age, 51.6), male (91%), trained in the United States (76%), and registered in a surgical specialty (74%). The supply of physicians varied substantially across HRRs. The supply was higher in HRRs with a higher percentage white population (β=0.44; SEM=0.14; P=0.002), lower unemployment rates (β=-10.74; SEM=3.41; P=0.002), and greater supply of primary care physicians (β=0.18; SEM=0.05; P=0.001) and nephrologists (β=15.89; SEM=1.22; P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Geographic variation was observed in the supply of vascular access physicians. Higher supply of such specialist physicians in socially and economically advantaged areas may explain disparities in vascular access and outcomes in the United States and should be the subject of further study and improvement.
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