Accuracy of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score for In-Hospital Mortality by Race and Relevance to Crisis Standards of Care

William Dwight Miller, MD, MS¹; Xuan Han, MD, MS¹; Monica E. Peek, MD, MPH, MS^2,3,4; Deepshikha Charan Ashana, MD, MBA, MS⁵; William F. Parker, MD, MS^1,3

Author Affiliations Article Information

JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(6):e2113891. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.13891

Question Is reliance on the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score to estimate the risk of in-hospital mortality associated with bias against Black patients in Crisis Standards of Care (CSC)?

Findings In this cohort study of 95 549 patients in the intensive care unit, in-hospital mortality was lower among Black patients compared with White patients who had equivalent SOFA scores. This overestimation of mortality risk for Black patients was associated with deprioritization of Black patients in CSC.

Meaning This study’s findings that SOFA is associated with overestimated mortality among Black patients compared with White patients suggest that CSC are associated with systematic deprioritization of Black patients.

Pulmonary/Critical Care Research

SOFA doesn’t accurately predict mortality.. new pub by PCCM grads Miller and Han in the Parker group!

Accuracy of the Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score for In-Hospital Mortality by Race and Relevance to Crisis Standards of Care

Submit a Comment Cancel reply