Linguistic isolation correlates with length of stay and mortality for pediatric oncology patients in California

• Published in: Cancer medicine (Malden, MA) MA), 2024-07, Vol.13 (13), p.e7371-n/a
• Main Authors: Ennett, Samuel, Das, Akansha, Burcham, Megan, Fitzgerald, Robert, Boville, Brian, Rajasekaran, Surender, Kortz, Teresa, Leimanis‐Laurens, Mara L.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acuity; Adolescent; California - epidemiology; Cancer; Child; Child, Preschool; Cultural differences; Education; Educational attainment; Ethnicity; Family income; Female; Gender; health disparities; health inequities; Hispanic Americans; Hospital Mortality; Hospitals; Households; Humans; Infant; Intensive Care Units, Pediatric - statistics & numerical data; Length of stay; Length of Stay - statistics & numerical data; linguistic isolation; Linguistics; Male; medical length of stay; Minority & ethnic groups; Mortality; Neoplasms - mortality; Nervous system; Oncology; Patient satisfaction; Patients; pediatric intensive care unit; Pediatrics; Postal codes; Race; Variables
• ISSN: 2045-7634; 2045-7634
• DOI: 10.1002/cam4.7371

Objective To evaluate social drivers of health and how they impact pediatric oncology patients' clinical outcomes during pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission via correlation with patient ZIP codes. Methods Demographic, clinical, and outcome variables from Virtual Pediatric Systems®, LLC for oncology patients (2009–2021) in California PICUs (excluding postoperative) using 3‐digit ZIP Codes with social drivers of health variables linguistic isolation, poverty, race/ethnicity, and education ed from American Community Survey data for 3‐digit ZIP Codes using the Environmental Protection Agency's EJScreen tool. Outcomes of length of stay (LOS), mortality, acuity scores, were compared with social variables. Results Positive correlation between mortality and minority racial groups (Hispanic/Latino) across ZIP Codes (correlation coefficients of 0.45 (95% CI: 0.22–0.64, p