Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39945944›Full record

ArticleAdvances in therapy2025

No-Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR) Zones and Their Effect on Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries with Aortic Stenosis.

Guy David, Andrew J Epstein, Jay Giri, Ashwin Nathan, Soumya G Chikermane, Michael Ryan, Christin Thompson, Seth Clancy, Candace Gunnarsson

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Advances in therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Guy DavidUniversity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Andrew J EpsteinMedicus Economics, Boston, MA, USA.
Jay GiriUniversity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Ashwin NathanUniversity of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Soumya G ChikermaneEdwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA.
Michael RyanMPR Consulting, Cincinnati, OH, USA.
Christin ThompsonEdwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA.
Seth ClancyEdwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA.
Candace GunnarssonGunnarsson Consulting, 3819 N. Woody Lane, Boise, ID, 83703, USA. candacegunnarsson@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0003-0723-585X

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThis study investigates the impact of geographic and socioeconomic barriers on access to transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).

methodsUtilizing Medicare data from the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, this study analyzed TAVR and surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) procedures among beneficiaries from 2017 to 2022. Geographic units were defined by 5-digit zip codes, categorized on the basis of TAVR/SAVR volume into four categories: (1) no TAVR or SAVR, (2) no-TAVR zone (SAVR present, no TAVR), (3) low-TAVR zone (TAVR/SAVR ratio ≤ 0.5), and (4) TAVR accessible (TAVR/SAVR ratio > 0.5). The differential distance index (DDI) was developed to measure travel hurdles, calculated as the difference in miles from a patient's zip code center to the treatment hospital (TAVR versus SAVR, CABG (coronary artery bypass grafting), and PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) comparators). This study maintained a continuous access variable to model outcomes such as the ratio or volume of TAVR/SAVR and the percentage share of TAVR/AVR within each zip code over biennial periods (2017-2018, 2019-2020, 2021-2022). Covariates in the model included population density, area deprivation index (ADI), and calendar time, with an exploration of the interaction between DDI and ADI.

resultsThe analysis revealed significant geographic disparities in TAVR access across the USA, with no-TAVR zone and low-TAVR zone areas often featuring lower population densities, higher ADIs, and more rural settings. Increased travel distance (DDI) significantly correlated with lower TAVR utilization, emphasizing distance as a critical barrier. Furthermore, both ADI and DDI emerged as significant predictors of TAVR volume and share, underlining the compound effect of socioeconomic status and geographic distance on healthcare access.

conclusionsThis study highlights the critical role of geographic and socioeconomic barriers in accessing advanced medical treatments like TAVR. Addressing these barriers may ensure equitable healthcare distribution, guiding policymakers and providers towards more accessible healthcare solutions for all populations.

Indexed as

Aortic Valve StenosisHealth Services AccessibilityMedicareTranscatheter Aortic Valve ReplacementAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHealthcare DisparitiesHumansMaleSocioeconomic FactorsUnited StatesAortic stenosisArea deprivation indexGeographic disparitiesSocioeconomic barriersTranscatheter aortic valve replacement

Identifiers

PMID39945944
PMCPMC11929678

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.