The effects of location and race on the performance of cardiac procedures.

This study assessed the impact of patient and facility characteristics on patient outcomes for coronary artery disease. The sample data studied and analyzed (i.e., hospital financial and administrative data) were from patients discharged in 2004, from hospitals in Florida with principal diagnoses codes indicating diseases of the circulatory system. Patient outcomes were measured as principal procedure codes for patients who received coronary arteriography, percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass graft surgeries. Chi-square analysis indicated that both patient location (chi 2 = 225.9038, p < .0001) and race (chi 2 = 312.1335, p < .0001) were associated with the receipt of cardiovascular procedures.