| Purpose. To investigate if there are differences in administrative (cost, cost per day, length of stay) and process outcomes (ventilator, dialysis, and artificial feeding days) between black and white patients who die in the intensive care unit (ICU) after adjusting for selected patient characteristics.;Instrument. Secondary analysis of hospital administrative data. A quality assurance model (structure-process-outcome) provided theoretical guidance.;Sample. All black and white adults >17 years of age who died in an ICU during a five year period, with an ICU length of stay (LOS) of ≥3 days (n = 823).;Analysis. SPSS version 12.0. Chi-square and t test describe the unadjusted sample. Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression establish bivariable associations for multivariable analysis (regression).;Results. Race is a statistically significant predictor (p = .000) accounting for about 2% of the variation in the adjusted model for total cost (R = .866, R2 = .785) and cost per day (R = .479, R2 = .230) (whites higher) but a significant predictor (p = .076) accounting for less than 1% of the variance in length of stay (R = .174, R2 = .030). No proportional differences in initiation of ventilator (p = .540) or dialysis (p = .312) was found, however proportional differences in the initiation of artificial feeding (p = .007) (whites higher) was found. Race is not a statistically significant predictor (p = .573) accounting for less than 1% of the variation in the adjusted model for ventilator (R = .813, R2 = .660) and dialysis days (R = .604, R2 = .364) but was found to be a significant predictor (p = .030) in artificial feeding days accounting for 3% of the variance in the adjusted model (R = .797, R2 = .635).;Conclusions. Race accounts for approximately 2-3% of the variation in cost, cost per day, length of stay and artificial feeding (whites higher). Ventilator and dialysis therapies are initiated equally. Differences in artificial feeding may suggest a disparate practice. |
