Abstract 18822: Disparities in Access and Long-Term Survival in St Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients the Brazilian Public and Private Health Services- Victim Registry

Abstract

Introduction: This study aims to evaluate the impact of disparities in access to specialized services and reperfusion therapies on the long-term survival of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated under the Unified Health System (SUS) and those covered by Private Healthcare Insurance (PHI). Scarce data exist for regions characterized by significant socioeconomic disparities. Methods: The VICTIM registry was utilized to compare disparities among STEMI patients treated under SUS and PHI. The registry involved all Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI) hospitals in Sergipe, the smallest state in Brazil, consisting of one facility for SUS patients and three facilities for private patients. We examined the patient's opportunity to reach a PCI hospital, reperfusion data from 2014 to 2018, and long-term survival through telephone interviews between 2020 and 2021. Long-term outcomes evaluated using the Gehan-Breslow test with Dunn correction, and significance level p<0.05. Results: Out of the 1.082 patients evaluated, 893 (82.53%) received treatment under SUS, while 189 (17.47%) covered by PHI. SUS patients had to travel a distance six times greater from the site of pain to the PCI hospital (58.2 km vs. 8.7 km; p<0.001); had lower rates of reperfusion (49.8% vs. 67.2%; p<0.001) and primary PCI (47.2% vs. 66.5%; p<0.001); and often had to pass through at least one institution before reaching the PCI hospital (76.1% vs. 41%; p<0.001). The time from symptom onset to seeking help was similar for both groups, but the overall time from symptom onset to arrival at the PCI hospital was longer for public service patients (10.3h vs. 5.3h; p<0.001). Fibrinolytic therapy was underused (2.5% vs. 1.1%; p=0.411). Long-term survival results displayed in Figure 1. Conclusions: SUS patients exhibited higher long-term mortality rates, longer travel distances, and reduced access to reperfusion therapies compared to PHI patients, indicating disparities in care.