Associations of U.S. Hospital Closure (2007-2018) with Area Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Racial/Ethnic Composition.

PURPOSE: To examine whether hospital closure is associated with high levels of area socioeconomic disadvantage and racial/ethnic minority composition.

METHODS: Pooled cross-sectional analysis (2007-2018) of 6,467 U.S. hospitals from the American Hospital Association's Annual Survey, comparing hospital population characteristics of closed hospitals to all remaining open hospitals. We used multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models to assess closure as a function of population characteristics, including area deprivation index ([ADI], a composite measure of socioeconomic disadvantage), racial/ethnic composition, and rural classification, nesting hospitals within hospital service areas (HSAs) and hospital referral regions. Secondary analyses examined public or private hospital type.

RESULTS: Overall, 326 (5.0%) of 6,467 U.S. hospitals closed during the study period. In multivariable models, hospitals in HSAs with a higher burden of socioeconomic disadvantage (per 10% above median ADI ZIP codes, AOR 1.05; 95% CI, 1.01-1.09) and Black Non-Hispanic composition (highest quartile, AOR 4.03; 95% CI, 2.62-6.21) had higher odds of closure. We did not observe disparities in closure by Hispanic/Latino composition or rurality. Disparities persisted for Black Non-Hispanic communities, even among HSAs with the lowest burden of disadvantage.

CONCLUSIONS: Disproportionate hospital closure in communities with higher socioeconomic disadvantage and Black racial composition raises concerns about unequal loss of healthcare resources in the U.S.