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Soo Park, MD
Soo Park, MD
Posted: Thursday, March 14, 2024
Mahtab Forouzandeh, MD, of the University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, and colleagues conducted an analysis to identify potential factors associated with an increased likelihood of receiving a skin graft and the corresponding hospital charge for patients with basal cell carcinoma who underwent surgical excision. Their findings, which were presented as a poster during the 2024 American Academy of Dermatology Association (AAD) Annual Meeting (Poster 54756), may aid in the selection of candidates for this reconstructive procedure.
“A patient’s risk for receiving a skin graft and the associated hospital charge depends on insurance status, region of the hospital, biological sex, race, and presence of comorbidities,” the investigators remarked.
Using the 2018 to 2020 Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the investigators identified 8,940 patients with basal cell carcinoma; of this population, 48.2% received a skin graft. Hospital charges were defined as the total amount charged for services and resources, such as staffing, room and board, and procedures, provided during the stay.
Female vs male (odds ratio [OR] = 0.78; P = .036) and Black vs White (OR = 0.53; P = .048) patients seemed to be less likely to receive a skin graft. The probability of undergoing this procedure appeared to be higher for patients with private insurance (OR = 1.5; P = .014) and lower for those with Medicaid (OR = 0.64; P = .04) compared with Medicare. The investigators found age (P = .008), being an Asian/Pacific Islander (P = .004), and having private insurance (P = .024) to be associated with decreased hospital charges for skin graft care. Increased charges were reported in urban hospitals (P = .04), hospitals located in the West (P = .003), and cases involving complications (P < .001).
Disclosure: No information regarding conflicts of interest was provided.
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