Back to 2025 Display Posters
Evaluating The Vascular Quality Initiative's Role In Advancing Minority Health And Health Disparities Research
G. Finn Repella, BA
1, Emily Nimner, MD
1, Allison Cruise, BA
1, Behzad Farivar, MD
1, W. Darrin Clouse, MD
1, Megan Tracci, MD, JD
1, Salvatore T. Scali, MD
2, M. Libby Weaver, MD
1.
1University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA,
2University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
OBJECTIVES Social and structural determinants of health (SDOH) significantly influence the management and outcomes of vascular surgical patients. Large databases, like the Society for Vascular Surgery-Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS-VQI), are vital for conducting health disparities research. Moreover, evaluating the SVS-VQI registry variables is crucial to understanding how well it supports this purpose. This study assesses the extent to which current VQI variables facilitate minority health and health disparities research.
METHODS A scoping review was conducted from VQI inception to present (2011-2024) according to Arksey’s five-stage framework and the PRISMA Extension for Scoping Reviews guidelines. Two reviewers independently screened abstracts and selected full texts, with a third reviewer resolving any disagreements. Studies using SVS-VQI data with a primary focus on health disparities were included. Domains from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Framework--biological, behavioral, physical and sociocultural environment, and healthcare systems--were included, while SVS-VQI regions, age, and frailty were excluded. Results were narratively due to a lack of comparable statistical data.
RESULTS The search identified 930 citations using SVS-VQI data; 21 (2.3%) met all inclusion/exclusion criteria. Studies focused on aneurysmal disease (AD), peripheral artery disease (PAD), and cerebrovascular disease (CVD), with PAD and AD being the most studied (n=9 each)(
Figure). Sex was the most commonly studied variable (n=9) and was linked to presentation, management, and outcomes of all pathologies. Socioeconomic disadvantage and rurality affected management across all pathologies, presentation of AD and PAD, and outcomes of PAD only. Race was associated with presentation and management across all pathologies, and outcomes for AD and PAD. Despite the Journal of Vascular Surgery’s (JVS) association with SVS, only 11 (52.3%) studies were published in JVS, with a notable publication increase in 2023 (n=7).
CONCLUSIONS Improving our understanding of how SDOH impact presentation, management, and outcomes among vascular surgical patients is important to mitigate health disparities. Large national databases like SVS-VQI can support healthcare disparities research in a meaningful way; however, current SDOH-related variables are limited. Expanding these variables could enhance future research and quality improvement efforts.
Back to 2025 Display Posters
