Racial Differences in the Use of Revascularization Procedures After Coronary Angiography

Among Medicare enrollees, whites are more likely than blacks to receive revascularization procedures after coronary angiography. Racial differences of similar magnitude occur in all types of hospitals. These differences may reflect overuse in whites or underuse in blacks, but they are unlikely to reflect access to cardiologists or hospitals that perform revascularization procedures. Potential explanations include unmeasured clinical or socioeconomic factors, differing patient preferences, and racial bias at the hospitals performing angiography.