Social determinants of health at the community level, such as median income and walkability, have a larger influence on hip replacement outcomes than an individual patient’s race, according to data.

The study was inspired by “persistent disparities observed in total hip arthroplasty outcomes, often attributed to individual factors such as race,” study author and HSS rheumatologist Bella Mehta, MD, MBBS, MS, told Healio.

“Although racial disparities are well-documented, we wanted to explore whether community-level social determinants of health, such as socioeconomic factors and community characteristics, might play a more significant role in total hip arthroplasty (THA) outcomes,” she said. “The study aimed to address the gap in understanding how these collective community factors compare to individual patient characteristics, including race,” explained Dr. Mehta. 

Read the full article at healio.com.