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Sociodemographic Correlates of Clinical Laboratory Test Expenditures in a Major Canadian City

Abstract
Objectives: The increasing cost of clinical laboratory testing is a challenge in our health care system. This study calculates the annual clinical laboratory test costs. Results: While more women received laboratory testing (58.4%), men had slightly higher testing costs per capita. Except for Chinese, visible minority and Aboriginal populations had higher testing costs. There was an inverse correlation between testing cost and household income. Higher costs were found in those without postsecondary education and the unemployed. Furthermore, another factor that affect the costs is where patients live and access healthcare. Conclusions: Laboratory costs are different depending on social and economic background of patients.
Authors: Jocelyn Barber,Maggie Guo,Leonard T. Nguyen,Roger Thomas,Tanvir Chowdhury Turin,Marcus Vaska,Christopher Naugler Publication Date: 7/1/2017

Publication Type: Journal Article

URL:https://academic.oup.com/ajcp/article-pdf/148/1/91/17826194/aqx052.pdf
Notes

Location

Calgary, Alberta

Key recommendations

More research is needed to understand how physicians make decisions about lab testing and who/how they refer for tests.

Key populations

General population

Key findings

There is a correlation between demographic characteristics and disease burden – this is in accordance with Social Determinants of Health; Poor health outcomes are influenced by variables including low income, low employment, female sex and minority status; In Calgary, people who live on the periphery of the city have a higher annual clinical lab cost than those who live downtown. Recent immigrants are not found to have higher lab costs than non-immigrants – this aligns with the “healthy immigrant effect.” There is variation between visible minority groups in terms of their health usage/cost.

Gaps identified

NA

Community organizations

NA

Integration timeline

At what point during the integration process the study was conducted?

Immigrated within the past 5 years


ISBN: 0002-9173
Collections education-students-teachers , employment , women

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