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Racial Inequities in Police Transport for Patients to the Emergency Department: A Multicenter Analysis.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gagliardi, JP; Smith, CM; Chang-Sing, EJK; Cramer, LD; Robinson, L; Shah, D; Jivalagian, PA; Turner, NA; Wong, AH
Published in: Am J Prev Med
January 2024

INTRODUCTION: Police involvement in patient transport to emergency medical care has increased over time, yet studies assessing racial inequities in transport are limited. This study evaluated the relationship between race and police transport to the emergency department for adult patients. METHODS: This cross-sectional study evaluated adult (aged ≥18 years) visits at 13 different emergency departments across two regional hospital systems in the Southeastern and Northeastern U.S. from 2015 to 2022. Data were extracted from electronic health records. This analysis evaluated the association between race and transport by police transport using generalized linear multivariable mixed model with a binary logistic link for presence of police transport. Data were nested by patient and adjusted for site, demographics, and diagnostic visit characteristics. RESULTS: Of 4,291,809 adult emergency department visits, 25,901 (0.6%) involved transport by police. Of the 25,901 visits in police-involved encounters, 10,513 (40.6%) patients were Black, and 9,827 (37.9%) were White. The adjusted model showed that Black patients were at higher odds of transport by police than White patients (AOR=1.64; 95% CI=1.57-1.72). Male sex, younger age (18-35 years), history of behavioral health diagnosis, and emergency department psychiatric or substance use disorders were independently associated with increased odds of police transport. CONCLUSIONS: This analysis revealed racial inequities in police-involved transport to emergency medical care, highlighting an urgent need to evaluate drivers of inequities and the ways in which police transport influences clinical outcomes.

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Published In

Am J Prev Med

DOI

EISSN

1873-2607

Publication Date

January 2024

Volume

66

Issue

1

Start / End Page

154 / 158

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Public Health
  • Police
  • Patients
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Emergency Service, Hospital
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Adult
  • Adolescent
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Gagliardi, J. P., Smith, C. M., Chang-Sing, E. J. K., Cramer, L. D., Robinson, L., Shah, D., … Wong, A. H. (2024). Racial Inequities in Police Transport for Patients to the Emergency Department: A Multicenter Analysis. Am J Prev Med, 66(1), 154–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2023.08.018
Gagliardi, Jane P., Colin M. Smith, Erika J. K. Chang-Sing, Laura D. Cramer, Leah Robinson, Dhruvil Shah, Pateel A. Jivalagian, Nicholas A. Turner, and Ambrose H. Wong. “Racial Inequities in Police Transport for Patients to the Emergency Department: A Multicenter Analysis.Am J Prev Med 66, no. 1 (January 2024): 154–58. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2023.08.018.
Gagliardi JP, Smith CM, Chang-Sing EJK, Cramer LD, Robinson L, Shah D, et al. Racial Inequities in Police Transport for Patients to the Emergency Department: A Multicenter Analysis. Am J Prev Med. 2024 Jan;66(1):154–8.
Gagliardi, Jane P., et al. “Racial Inequities in Police Transport for Patients to the Emergency Department: A Multicenter Analysis.Am J Prev Med, vol. 66, no. 1, Jan. 2024, pp. 154–58. Pubmed, doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2023.08.018.
Gagliardi JP, Smith CM, Chang-Sing EJK, Cramer LD, Robinson L, Shah D, Jivalagian PA, Turner NA, Wong AH. Racial Inequities in Police Transport for Patients to the Emergency Department: A Multicenter Analysis. Am J Prev Med. 2024 Jan;66(1):154–158.
Journal cover image

Published In

Am J Prev Med

DOI

EISSN

1873-2607

Publication Date

January 2024

Volume

66

Issue

1

Start / End Page

154 / 158

Location

Netherlands

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Public Health
  • Police
  • Patients
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Emergency Service, Hospital
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Adult
  • Adolescent