Ethnic disparities in the quality of hospital care in New Zealand, as measured by 30-day rate of unplanned readmission/death

Abstract

Objective. To compare the quality of hospital care for New Zealand (NZ) Maori and NZ European adult patients, using the rate of unplanned readmission or death within 30 days of discharge as an indicator of quality. Design. Retrospective cohort study. Setting. NZ public hospitals. Participants. Data from 89 658 patients who were admitted for one of a defined set of surgical procedures at NZ public hospitals 2002-8 were obtained from the NZ Ministry of Health. Outcome. The odds of readmission for NZ Maori when compared with NZ European patients were calculated using logistic regression, incorporating variables for age, sex, comorbidity, index procedure, hospital volume and socioeconomic positi..