Researchers have discovered that where a person lives can influence how well they recover after surgery. This surprising connection was revealed in a study led by Michigan Medicine, examining nearly 2 million patients across the United States.
The results showed that even if a person has surgery at a top-quality hospital, their recovery may still be at risk if they come from a disadvantaged neighborhood.
The study looked at five common types of surgeries and analyzed the death rates within 30 days after these procedures. It used data from Medicare patients, factoring in the quality of the hospital where the surgery took place and the zip codes of the patients.
Hospital quality was determined using ratings from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, while neighborhood information included levels of poverty, education, and housing quality.
One key finding was that living in a poor neighborhood increases the chances of complications or even death after surgery, regardless of the hospital’s quality.
For example, a person from a high-poverty area with low education rates and poor housing conditions had a higher risk of dying after surgery than someone from a more privileged area, even if both had their operations at the same high-quality hospital.
On the flip side, undergoing surgery at a low-quality hospital also raised the risk of death, even for patients from wealthier neighborhoods. This shows that both a person’s living environment and the hospital’s quality contribute to surgical outcomes.
The combination of living in a disadvantaged neighborhood and having surgery at a low-quality hospital posed the highest risk of death after surgery.
Meanwhile, patients from poorer neighborhoods who went to top-rated hospitals had about the same survival rates as those from wealthier areas treated at low-quality hospitals.
These findings highlight the complex relationship between community resources, hospital quality, and patient health.
They suggest that improving outcomes for surgical patients will require more than just focusing on hospital care—it also means addressing larger social and structural issues in communities.
Hospitals and healthcare systems are beginning to take action. Some are piloting programs to identify patients from underprivileged neighborhoods who may face higher risks.
These programs aim to improve patients’ health before surgery by addressing underlying issues such as chronic conditions or lack of access to proper nutrition and care.
The research team emphasizes that policies promoting investment in disadvantaged communities could help reduce these disparities.
By improving education, housing, and access to healthcare in these areas, we could see better recovery rates for patients who undergo surgery.
This study sheds light on how social and economic factors outside of the hospital can impact health outcomes. It’s a reminder that health is not only shaped by medical care but also by the environment in which we live.
For those interested in improving their overall health, other studies have shown that adopting a Mediterranean diet can protect brain health, and specific plant nutrients may help reduce high blood pressure.
Additionally, research suggests that vitamin D may lower the risk of autoimmune diseases, and eating flavonoid-rich foods could improve survival rates in Parkinson’s disease.
The study discussed here was led by Adrian Diaz and published in JAMA Network Open. It serves as a call to action for addressing health inequalities by looking beyond hospitals and into the communities they serve.
If you care about cancer, please read studies that low-carb diet could increase overall cancer risk, and new way to increase the longevity of cancer survivors.
For more information about cancer, please see recent studies about how to fight cancer with these anti-cancer superfoods, and results showing daily vitamin D3 supplementation may reduce cancer death risk.
Copyright © 2024 Knowridge Science Report. All rights reserved.
