The unequal clinical profile, quality of life and hospital mortality in patients undergoing aortocoronary bypass in the public and private centers of Catalonia. The CIRCORCA Study

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: The influence of the type of health care funding and management of hospital centres on hospital mortality in coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG) has not been analyzed in detail. We therefore assessed clinical and quality of life preoperative profiles and in-hospital mortality in public and private patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery in Catalonia. METHODS: Clinical questionnaires, Duke Activity Status Index (DASI) and SF-36 were preoperatively administered to all patients undergoing first coronary bypass surgery without associated procedures in Catalonia between November 1996-June 1997. In-hospital morbidity and mortality were recorded. RESULTS: Predictors of in-hospital death, including DASI, SF-36 and comorbidity scores, were significantly worse in public than in private patients. In-hospital mortality rate was more than ten times greater in public than in private patients (8.2% vs 0.7%; p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified private funding of health care, among others, as an independent predictor of in-hospital survival. Non evidence-based indications for surgery were significantly more common in private than in public patients (6% vs 0.7%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: a) In catalonia, the risk profile of public patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery was significantly higher than that of private patients, accounting, at least in part, for a remarkable mortality difference; b) non evidence-based indications for surgery were more common in private than in public patients; c) these unequal patterns raise questions about the adequacy of care and referral patterns in both private and public sectors.