Using Appendiceal Perforation Rates to Measure Impact of a Disaster on Healthcare System Effectiveness

• 2013

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• Dominic Mack; George Rust; Peter Baltrus; Barbara Moore; Charles Sow; Vijaykumar Patel
PMID: 23263319DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/smj.0b013e31827c5a0c

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This article explores how appendiceal perforation rates can show the impact of Hurricane Katrina on healthcare systems. It describes that after the hurricane, African Americans had higher rates of appendix rupture than whites, highlighting racial disparities in healthcare access. The study used Medicaid data from Mississippi and Louisiana to compare high- and low-impact areas before and after the disaster. Despite infrastructure damage, overall care levels remained stable, but racial gaps persisted. The findings suggest a need for better access to care during disasters to reduce these disparities.

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Tags

Focus Areas: Natural Disasters; Severe Weather

Audience: Public Health Professionals

Emergency Management Stages: Response; Recovery

Bundles: Disaster Research Literature Review

Keywords: Appendectomy; Health Services Accessibility; Louisiana; Medicaid; Mississippi; Natural Disasters; Residence Characteristics; Cyclonic Storms; Healthcare Disparities; Black or African American

Institutions: Morehouse College

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