Association of Socioeconomic Status, Race and Insurance Status with Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patient-Reported Outcome Measures

Abstract

Objective Disparities in health and health care access are widely prevalent. However, disparities among patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are poorly understood. We investigated if CRS severity at presentation according to socioeconomic factors. Study Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Tertiary rhinology center. Subjects and Methods Three hundred prospectively recruited patients presenting with CRS were included. Outcome variables included CRS symptomatology, as reflected by the 22-item Sinonasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22); general health status, as reflected by the EuroQol 5-dimensional visual analog scale (EQ-5D VAS); and CRS-related antibiotic and systemic corticosteroid use. Race/ethnicity, zip code income bracket, education level, and insurance status were used as predictor variables. Regression, controlling for clinical and demographic characteristics, was used to determine associations between predictor and outcome variables. Results Mean SNOT-22 score was 33.8 (SD, 23.2), and mean EQ-5D VAS score was 74.2 (SD, 18.9). On multivariable analysis, presenting SNOT-22 and EQ-5D VAS scores were not associated with nonwhite patient race/ethnicity ( P = .634 and P = .866), education ( P = .106 and P = .586), or the percentage of households in zip code with incomes <$50,000 per year ( P = .917 and P = .979, respectively). SNOT-22 scores did not differ by insurance type, but patients receiving Medicare reported worse general health status. Use of oral antibiotics or oral steroids for CRS was not associated with predictor variables. Conclusion Patients with CRS presented to a tertiary rhinology center with similar metrics for CRS severity and pre-presentation medical management regardless of race/ethnicity, education status, or zip code income level. Patients with Medicare had worse general health status. Further research should investigate potential disparities in diagnosis of CRS, specialist referral, and treatment outcomes.