To compare percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) compliance rate at a safety-net versus tertiary academic hospital and assess the impact of social determinants on compliance.
Retrospective cohort study of 133 patients at Grady Memorial Hospital and Emory Clinic from May 2015 to March 2020 who had refractory overactive bladder (OAB) and were prescribed PTNS.
Grady patients were younger (age 58.7±11.6 versus 70.7±13.5), predominantly male (52% versus 22%), and predominately African American (80% versus 34%). Compliance rate for PTNS was 55% at Emory and 70% at Grady. In the multivariable model including sex, race, insurance status, income level, and baseline voiding symptoms, Grady patients had 5.31 times the odds of compliance (p=.02).
Compliance rate at a safety-net hospital was greater and was not affected by demographic and socioeconomic variables. These results support offering PTNS as standard of care to a predominantly Black population with refractory OAB.
Journal of health care for the poor and underserved. 2022 Jan [Epub]
Andy Dong, Reza Nabavizadeh, James F Jiang, Samuel L Washington, Viraj A Master