Health Care Use by Muslim Patients During Ramadan

Purpose. Health care utilization during Ramadan has not been examined in the United States. Methods. A retrospective review of billing and electronic health record data for Muslims (n = 2,919) and non-Muslims (n = 184,803) in primary care practices in Eastern Massachusetts. Results. Muslim patients were younger, less educated, less often commercially insured, more likely to have Medicare, and less likely to be primary English speakers (p <.0001 for all comparisons). In multivariate models, during Ramadan, Muslims, compared with non-Muslims, had a higher rate of primary care visits (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-1.11), emergency department visits (IRR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.34-1.91), and hospitalizations (IRR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.03-1.34). Conclusions. Important demographic differences exist between Muslim and non-Muslim patients. Muslims, compared with non-Muslims, had higher health care utilization during Ramadan.