Protective And Risk Exposures Of Cancers Disproportionately Affecting Hispanics In A U.S. - Mexico Border Population: A Clinical Informatics Approach

BACKGROUND: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U.S. with over 8 million new cases between 2016 and 2020. A variety of protective and risk exposures are associated with multiple cancers and disparities and inequalities exist in the health outcomes of minority populations. Hispanic populations in the U.S. and Texas have some of the highest rates of cancer incidence and mortality when compared to other populations. The use of Population and Public Health Informatics approaches to address these issues have shown promise when employed in healthcare institutions METHODS: A case-control study design examined associations between multiple cancers and protective and risk exposures in a primarily Hispanic U.S. border population. The HealtheIntent population health system was used to extract patient data from a multitude of data sources within a U.S.-Mexico border healthcare system. Participants were patients at TTUHSC-EP between 2011 and 2023, 18 years or older, and from a west Texas or southern New Mexico county. RESULTS: A total of 7,070 patients (M age = 63.17, SD=14.34) were included in this study and the majority of the sample was Hispanic (79.7%). Cancer patients were found to have a higher comorbidity burden than non-cancer patients and Hispanic cancer patients were found to have poorer health outcomes than their non-Hispanic counterparts. Several logistic regression analyses examining different cancer types revealed similar predictors including insurance coverage, preferred language (English/Spanish), and several comorbidities. CONCLUSION: The results of this study describe the importance that health information systems play in identifying and addressing risk and protective exposures, health disparities, health determinants, and health outcomes, as well as show the role they play in developing interventions and policies to improve patient outcomes within a health system.