Study of Race and Leg Amputation due to Diabetes

It has become common knowledge that people in different communities in different parts of the country receive better care and access to care, treatment and services than in other areas.  That has prompted a study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.  The study tracked the number of black patients with diabetes that needed amputations vs. the number of white patients who did. 

Overall numbers vary throughout the states, however, in the study; blacks needed more amputations than whites did.  The study stated that individuals with diabetes need amputations partially because of the care they get and also because the difficulties they have receiving treatment.  Other factors are also included, such as whether patients smoke or drink, and particularly, whether they can afford the special diabetic shoes that help with circulation and other factors which could lead to gangrene, thus eventually lead to possible amputation.

Except for Arizona and Kentucky, blacks were less likely to receive annual diabetes blood test than whites.  They were also less likely – by quite a lot – to get mammograms, not only because they didn’t’ know about the need, but because they weren’t being told about the importance of the tests and given the prescriptions by doctors to go have them taken. The biggest disparity was in Colorado where 88% of whites were tested, vs. a little over 60% of blacks.

Part of the issue is the need for outreach and availability of Medicare and Medicaid coverage in the poor neighborhoods.  Most of the people who are the poorest and live in areas and situations where they are not covered by Medicare are in very compromised health situations by the time they are able to get Medicare or Medicaid coverage.

It is no secret that there are disparities in coverage and treatment throughout the country.  The unfortunate point is that people are losing a great deal of quality of life and even losing their lives because of these disparities.

In the wealthiest nation in the world, hopefully there will be a solution to the situation in the near future.  Though issues are being looked at, this is a complicated issue, but, complicated or not, the results are overwhelming to the poor and vulnerable among us who deserve quality health care just like anyone else.

Filed under: General-Medicare

Tags: Amputations, Diabetes, General-Medicare, medicaid, Treatment