Objective: To describe and compare the demographics of patients receiving botulinum toxin therapy in a single movement disorder clinic to the broader surrounding community.

Background: Botulinum toxin therapy is a first line treatment for focal dystonia. However the treatment is expensive, and individuals in underserved communities may struggle with obtaining health insurance and finding trained medical professionals. The role of this study is to evaluate the population of the patients receiving botulinum therapy in a movement disorder clinic in an urban University-affiliated Hospital, and if they are representative of the greater population of Essex county.

Method: Electronic medical records of patients who received botulinum toxin therapy in the movement disorders clinic at University Hospital in Newark, Essex County, New Jersey in 2022 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients included in this study had diagnoses of spasticity, cervical dystonia, hemifacial spasm, and blepharospasm. The age, gender, race, and indication were recorded. Demographics of Essex County, New Jersey of 2022 were obtained via the data profiles on the United States Census Bureau website.

Results: Thirteen patients, ages 38 to 79 (average 67 ± 11.9), were administered botulinum toxin therapy in the movement disorders clinic. Nine (69.2%) were female and four (30.8%) were male. Of these patients, six identified as hispanic (46%), while seven identified as non-hispanic, with four identifying as white (30.7%), and three identifying as black (23.1%). In the greater Essex County population per Census Bureau records, 24.0% identified as hispanic, and 76.0% as non-hispanic, with 28.5% identifying as white alone and 36.7% identifying as black alone. Compared to Essex County population, the movement disorders clinic showed a trend of providing care to a higher percentage of hispanic population (p=0.1), while overall patient diversity is comparable to that of the county population.

Conclusion: Patients receiving botulinum toxin therapy had a larger representation of hispanic individuals, compared to the greater community of Essex County, New Jersey. Having a bilingual Movement Disorder specialist (English- and Spanish-speaking) as the provider of this clinic helps reach the local population. Using this data, we may be able to optimize access and target patients that may be underrepresented in obtaining botulinum toxin therapy treatment.

« Back to 2024 International Congress

MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/demographics-of-botulinum-toxin-therapy-population-representative-to-demographics-in-essex-county-usa/