A new study has found that rates of biochemical alcohol and drug screening are disproportionately higher among adolescent trauma patients from racial and ethnic minority groups, those with public or no insurance, and females. The research, published online on Oct. 4 in JAMA Network Open, highlights potential disparities in how substance use screening is conducted in pediatric trauma centers.

Dr. Jordan M. Rook from the Greater Los Angeles Veterans Administration Healthcare System and his team analyzed data from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Trauma Quality Programs dataset, covering the period from 2017 to 2021. The study focused on 85,362 adolescent trauma patients aged 12 to 17 years, treated at 121 ACS-verified pediatric trauma centers. Researchers compared the likelihood of receiving biochemical alcohol and drug screening across different demographic groups.

The study revealed that 24.5% of adolescents were screened for alcohol. Black (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.08) and American Indian adolescents (aOR, 2.17) were more likely to be screened than White adolescents. Hispanic adolescents were also screened more frequently than their non-Hispanic counterparts (aOR, 1.20). Furthermore, adolescents with Medicaid insurance (aOR, 1.15) or no insurance (aOR, 1.13) were more likely to undergo screening compared to those with private insurance. Gender also played a role, with female adolescents (aOR, 1.32) being more likely to be screened than males.

Similar trends were observed in drug screening, which was performed on 21.8% of the adolescents. Higher screening rates were found among Black (aOR, 1.13), American Indian (aOR, 1.75), and Hispanic (aOR, 1.20) adolescents. Those with Medicaid (aOR, 1.28), no insurance (aOR, 1.18), and females (aOR, 1.28) also had higher odds of being screened.

“These findings indicate potential disparities in biochemical substance use screening at pediatric trauma centers,” the authors noted, raising concerns about inequities in the healthcare system that may affect how different groups are treated in trauma settings.

The study calls for further investigation into the reasons behind these disparities and highlights the need for more equitable screening practices across all demographic groups.