Improvement in Neighborhood Deprivation Exacerbates Surgical Disparities

A study examining the association between neighborhood deprivation and postoperative outcomes for Medicare beneficiaries found that while lower neighborhood deprivation is linked to improved outcomes for both white and black patients, the benefits disproportionately favor white patients. White beneficiaries experienced a significant decrease in mortality, complication rates, and readmission rates as neighborhood deprivation decreased. In contrast, black beneficiaries saw smaller improvements. The study highlights the potential disparate health impacts of neighborhood improvements and challenges the misconception of the protective effect of higher social class for black patients.