--- title: "Racial disparities: opiod prescribing for fractures in ED. | Sutter Health" description: "Racial and ethnic minority groups with long bone fractures receive similar frequencies of opioid prescriptions at discharge, with a small potency difference." url: "https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/racial-disparities-opiod-prescribing-for-fractures-in-ed-1055312717" --- 1. [Home](https://www.sutterhealth.org/) / 2. [Research](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research) / 3. [Research publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications) / 4. Racial disparities: opiod prescribing for fractures in ED. # Racial and ethnic disparities in opioid prescribing for long bone fractures at discharge from the emergency department: a cross-sectional analysis of 22 centers from a health care delivery system in Northern California. Romanelli RJ, Shen Z, Szwerinski N, Scott A, Lockhart S, & Pressman AR. _Ann Emerg Med. pii: S0196-0644(19)30417-2. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.05.018. \[Epub ahead of print\]_ 2019-07-01 ## Abstract STUDY OBJECTIVE: We examine racial and ethnic differences in opioid prescribing and dosing for long bone fractures at emergency department (ED) discharge. METHODS: We conducted an electronic health records-based cross-sectional study of adults with long bone fractures who presented to the ED across 22 sites from a health care delivery system (2016 to 2017). We examined differences in opioid prescribing at ED discharge and, among patients with a prescription, differences in opioid dosing (measured as morphine milligram equivalents) by race/ethnicity, using regression modeling with statistical adjustment for patient, fracture, and prescriber characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 11,576 patients with long bone fractures were included in the study; 64.4% were non-Hispanic white; 16.4%, 7.3%, 5.8%, and 5.1%, respectively, were Hispanic, Asian, black, and of other or unknown race; and 65.6% received an opioid at discharge. After adjusting for other factors, rates of opioid prescribing were not different by race/ethnicity; however, among patients with an opioid prescription, total morphine milligram equivalent units prescribed were 4.3%, 6.0%, and 8.1% less for Hispanics, blacks, and Asians relative to non-Hispanic whites. CONCLUSION: Racial and ethnic minority groups with long bone fractures receive similar frequencies of opioid prescriptions at discharge, with a small potency difference. How this affects pain relief and why it happens is unclear. [PubMed abstract](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31272820) ## Research topics - [Health Disparities](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Health+Disparities%5C%22%22) - [Medical Informatics](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Medical+Informatics%5C%22%22) - [Musculoskeletal Disorders](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Musculoskeletal+Disorders%5C%22%22) - [Pain](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?query=%22%5C%22Pain%5C%22%22) ## Related publications [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) - Publication ### [Opioid prescribing for chronic pain in a community-based healthcare system.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/opiod-prescribing-chronic-pain-community-health-1055312298) Romanelli RJ, Ikeda LI, Lynch B, Craig T, Cappelleri JC, Jukes T, Ishisaka DY. Am J Manag Care. 23(5):e138-e145. 2017 May 01 - Publication ### [Use of electronic health records for early detection of high-cost, low back pain patients.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/use-ehrs-to-detect-high-cost-low-back-pain-pts-1055312584) Maeng DD, Stewart WF, Yan X, Boscarino JA, Mardekian J, Harnett J, Von Korff MR. Pain Res Manag. 20(5):234-40. Epub 2015 Aug 20. 2015 Sep 01 - Publication ### [Patterns of health care utilization for low back pain.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/health-care-utilization-in-low-back-pain-1055312713) Stewart WF, Yan X, Boscarino JA, Maeng DD, Mardekian J, Sanchez RJ, Von Korff MR. J Pain Res. 8:523-35. doi: 10.2147/JPR.S83599. eCollection 2015. 2015 Aug 12 - Publication ### [Patient characteristics and healthcare utilization of a chronic pain population within an integrated healthcare system.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/pt-characteristics-healthcare-use-chronic-pain-1055312340) Romanelli RJ, Shah SN, Ikeda L, Lynch B, Craig TL, Cappelleri JC, Jukes T, Ishisaka D. Am J Manag Care. 23(2):e50-e56. 2017 Feb 01 - Publication ### [Randomized placebo-controlled placebo trial to determine the placebo effect size.](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/randomize-placebo-trial-determine-the-placebo-effect-size-1055312404) Gerdesmeyer L, Klueter T, Rahlfs VW, Muderis MA, Saxena A, Gollwitzer H, Harrasser N, Stukenberg M, Prehn-Kristensen A. Pain Physician. 20(5):387-396. 2017 Jul 01 [View all publications](https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?verticalKey=research_publication) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/racial-disparities-opiod-prescribing-for-fractures-in-ed-1055312717#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Research","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Research publications","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"Racial disparities: opiod prescribing for fractures in ED."}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalScholarlyArticle","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/racial-disparities-opiod-prescribing-for-fractures-in-ed-1055312717#medicalscholarlyarticle","name":"Racial and ethnic disparities in opioid prescribing for long bone fractures at discharge from the emergency department: a cross-sectional analysis of 22 centers from a health care delivery system in Northern California.","headline":"Racial disparities: opiod prescribing for fractures in ED.","abstract":"STUDY OBJECTIVE: We examine racial and ethnic differences in opioid prescribing and dosing for long bone fractures at emergency department (ED) discharge. METHODS: We conducted an electronic health records-based cross-sectional study of adults with long bone fractures who presented to the ED across 22 sites from a health care delivery system (2016 to 2017). We examined differences in opioid prescribing at ED discharge and, among patients with a prescription, differences in opioid dosing (measured as morphine milligram equivalents) by race/ethnicity, using regression modeling with statistical adjustment for patient, fracture, and prescriber characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 11,576 patients with long bone fractures were included in the study; 64.4% were non-Hispanic white; 16.4%, 7.3%, 5.8%, and 5.1%, respectively, were Hispanic, Asian, black, and of other or unknown race; and 65.6% received an opioid at discharge. After adjusting for other factors, rates of opioid prescribing were not different by race/ethnicity; however, among patients with an opioid prescription, total morphine milligram equivalent units prescribed were 4.3%, 6.0%, and 8.1% less for Hispanics, blacks, and Asians relative to non-Hispanic whites. CONCLUSION: Racial and ethnic minority groups with long bone fractures receive similar frequencies of opioid prescriptions at discharge, with a small potency difference. How this affects pain relief and why it happens is unclear.","description":"Racial and ethnic minority groups with long bone fractures receive similar frequencies of opioid prescriptions at discharge, with a small potency difference.","keywords":["Health Disparities","Medical Informatics","Musculoskeletal Disorders","Pain"],"datePublished":"2019-07-01","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/racial-disparities-opiod-prescribing-for-fractures-in-ed-1055312717","inLanguage":"en-US","identifier":[{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"PMID","value":"31272820"},{"@type":"PropertyValue","propertyID":"DOI","value":"10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.05.018"}],"sameAs":["https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31272820/","https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2019.05.018"],"isPartOf":{"@type":"Periodical","name":"Ann Emerg Med"},"author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Romanelli RJ"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Shen Z"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Szwerinski N"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Scott A"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Lockhart S"},{"@type":"Person","name":"Pressman AR"}],"sourceOrganization":{"@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute"},"about":[{"@type":"DefinedTerm","name":"Health Disparities","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_researchTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Health+Disparities%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=research_publication"},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","name":"Medical Informatics","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_researchTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Medical+Informatics%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=research_publication"},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","name":"Musculoskeletal Disorders","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_researchTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Musculoskeletal+Disorders%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=research_publication"},{"@type":"DefinedTerm","name":"Pain","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research-search-results?facets=%5B%7B%22i%22%3A%22c_researchTopics.name%22%2C%22v%22%3A%5B%22Pain%22%5D%7D%5D&verticalKey=research_publication"}],"mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/racial-disparities-opiod-prescribing-for-fractures-in-ed-1055312717","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/research/publications/racial-disparities-opiod-prescribing-for-fractures-in-ed-1055312717#breadcrumblist"}}} ```