Feature Channels: Health Disparities

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The Zero Health Gaps Pledge is part of the Global Health Equity Network (GHEN), which brings together key stakeholders from public and private sectors to advance a collective vision of Zero Health Gaps within the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Achieving Zero Health Gaps would mean that all individuals have the fair and just opportunity to fulfill their human potential in all aspects of health and well-being. By taking this pledge, Ochsner is declaring its commitment to meaningful action and collaboration toward health equity.

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Penn State College of Medicine researchers have found Black and Hispanic patients with severe allergies are less likely to get a common treatment, allergen immunotherapy, compared to white patients.

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A group of physicians and scientists with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine are releasing an important study that will be published in the journal Pediatrics on Thursday, showing that COVID-19 can cross into the placenta of pregnant women and cause brain injury in newborns, as evidenced with 2 cases they treated here in Miami. One of the infants also died at about 13 months old. Further testing of the infant’s brain specimen showed that the virus was still present in the brain at the time of death—which was over a year after birth.

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Susan G. Komen®, the world’s leading breast cancer organization, applauds Representative Donny Lambeth (R-Forsyth), Representative Mary Belk (D-Mecklenburg), Representative Donna McDowell White (R-Johnston) and Representative Becky Carney (D-Mecklenburg) for working with Komen to introduce legislation that would remove financial barriers to imaging that can rule out breast cancer or confirm the need for a biopsy. In 2023, more than 10,730 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer and more than 1,450 will die of the disease in North Carolina alone.

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The University of Chicago Medicine Kovler Diabetes Center raised more than $35,000 at its annual Salon Kovler event, which supports the health system's critical diabetes care and research initiatives that are focused on reducing healthcare disparities. The March 9 fundraiser and educational program at Navy Pier brought together community stakeholders, corporate leaders, and UChicago Medicine faculty and staff for a conversation about diabetes disparities and how to overcome them.

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A new survey of allergists/immunologists from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology shows that diagnosing, treating and managing hereditary angioedema can be challenging for patients and healthcare providers - including patients in rural areas. An article about the survey is published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, ACAAI’s scientific journal.

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Multiple studies have demonstrated that Black patients are significantly less likely than white patients to undergo invasive cardiovascular procedures. Prior research also has demonstrated substantial racial disparities in the use of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) that can be lifesaving for those at high risk for sudden cardiac death.

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The number of prostate cancer patients in the U.S. choosing active surveillance over surgery or radiation has rapidly increased since 2010, rising from 16% to 60% for low-risk patients and from 8% to 22% for patients with favorable-intermediate-risk cancers, according to a study published today in JAMA Internal Medicine.

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A roundup of the latest medical discoveries and faculty news happening at Cedars-Sinai in March 2023.

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New initiative looks to improve health care access across our Borderplex by helping prevent diabetes and empowering screened residents with appropriate resources. The program has been in operation since February 2023.

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The American Thoracic Society has issued an official statement for clinicians that explains why race and ethnicity should no longer be considered factors in interpreting the results of spirometry, the most commonly used type of pulmonary function test (PFT). The statement was endorsed by the European Respiratory Society. The full statement is available online in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

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With the aid of a near $3.2 million National Cancer Institute grant (R01CA277599) recently awarded, investigators from the state’s leading cancer program, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey,  and Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, both NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers, will work to close racial disparity gaps in cancer care delivery by examining a novel approach to genetic testing and care based on community identified needs.

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Housed at the University of Chicago Medicine, the Bridging the Gap: Reducing Disparities in Diabetes Care Initiative has published the results of their five-year project aimed at addressing disparities in diabetes care nationwide.

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A new study from the Harvey L. Neiman Health Policy Institute found that only 1.8% of eligible Americans with commercial insurance received lung cancer screening. Rates were higher but still extremely low for Original Medicare (3.4%) and Medicare Advantage (4.6%). The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Radiology, determined 2017 screening rates for patients who were eligible for lung cancer screening by low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), as determined United States Preventive Services Task Force guidelines.

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Cedars-Sinai and BlackDoctor.org will host a virtual community conversation about the importance of increasing diverse representation in medical research.

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From septic shock to sticker shock. Keep up with this ever-growing, changing sector. Below are some of the latest stories on healthcare on Newswise.

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While the outpatient management of stroke survivors through telehealth is prone to multiple barriers, it offers many advantages for addressing health equity in stroke survivors, according to a review from UTHealth Houston.

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Surgeons can play a key role in reducing breast cancer disparities by increasing their awareness of where disparities exist.

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In an effort to improve understanding of pulmonary fibrosis (PF) and interstitial lung disease (ILD), data from the PFF Registry is presenting researchers with opportunities to accelerate understanding of PF and ILD to improve patient outcomes.

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The breast tumors of Asian, Black and white women have very different cellular, microbial and genomic features that could potentially be used to personalize care or predict disease progression, according to new research by investigators at the Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

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A new study reported in JAMA Network Open unveils disparities in Mesothelioma survival, a grant to help construction workers nail quitting smoking, a new AI algorithm that offers insights into deadly cancer, a newly launched Neuroendocrine Tumors Program, a cancer researcher chosen to co-lead Tumor Biology Program and more are in this month’s tip sheet from Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

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For the first time, a new analysis found that among Utah children aged 8 years old, rates of autism were equal in White children and children from historically underserved populations, including Hispanic and Pacific Islanders.

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Autism rates are on the rise in the United States, and especially in California. UC San Diego researchers link changing rates and demographics to increased early-detection.

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Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health contributed to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that found a continued rise in the overall prevalence of autism among 8-year-olds in 2020, the year the data was collected, as well as notable sex and racial/ethnic trends.

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Treatment outcomes for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma, a rare cancer commonly known as mesothelioma, are often affected by social determinants of health and overall survival rates could be improved by addressing these health disparities and improving access to specialized care.

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A new study has found that people with epilepsy have an increased risk of early death and the increased risk varies depending on where they live, the number of medications they take and what other diseases they may have. The study is published in the March 22, 2023, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

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An investigational molecule has been shown to improve kidney function in people with one form of chronic kidney disease in a small phase 2 clinical trial. Martin Pollak, MD, discusses the journey from research question to potential cure.

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A co-location model for cancer diagnostic services designed by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has reported a reduction in the time it takes to diagnose cancer in a community health center in Boston, MA, that cares for a historically underserved populations.

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In 2012, Michael Cruz exercised a lot. Four years into a 15-year prison sentence, this was one of the only things he had, he says, until he noticed a numb, tingling sensation in one of his toes while working out. At first, he dismissed the feeling. But it persisted, and over time, spread up his ankle. Then, he began experiencing little sharp pains in his back, which he attributed to muscle spasms from his workouts.

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To help ensure that all obstetric patients receive high-quality, safe analgesia and anesthesia care during labor and delivery, the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) has published its updated Analgesia and Anesthesia for the Obstetric Patient practice guidelines. This comprehensive revision is designed to provide evidence-based practice recommendations and close equity gaps in obstetric pain management and anesthesia care.

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Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridioides difficile, Candida auris, Drug-resistant Shigella. These bacteria not only have difficult names to pronounce, but they are also difficult to fight off. These bacteria may infect humans and animals, and the infections they cause are harder to treat than those caused by non-resistant bacteria. Antimicrobial resistance is an urgent global public health threat.

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Discrimination experienced by Black people can affect their health and increase their frailty, which can be particularly impactful for cancer survivors, according to a new study by researchers at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center and colleagues at the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute in Detroit. The researchers assessed frailty by a number of factors, including whether a participant had several chronic diseases, poor muscle strength and difficulty performing activities of daily living.

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Founding director of UChicago Medicine’s Level 1 trauma center is first surgeon to hold the journal position in more than a decade.

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It's sleep awareness week, according to the National Sleep Foundation. It’s important to understand how sleep deprivation can impact your health. Most people recognize that if they don’t get enough sleep, their mood and memory will suffer the next day.

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Dr. Richard Besser, President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the nation’s largest health philanthropy, will serve as the 2023 Penn Nursing commencement speaker. The event will take place at 3:00 PM EST on Monday, May 15, 2023, at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts.

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Sadeer Al-Kindi, MD, received the American College of Cardiology’s prestigious Young Investigator Award at the ACC’s annual meeting recently held in New Orleans. The bulk of Dr. Al-Kindi’s research focuses on how environmental and socioeconomic factors impact heart health.

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A first-of-its-kind study in the March 2023 issue of JNCCN highlights how the lack of genomic research for people with African ancestry, particularly those from the Sub-Saharan region, is hampering efforts to reduce disparities for people with advanced prostate cancer.

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In a nationwide study, researchers found Black patients are diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis an average of 10 years earlier than white patients, highlighting the need for updated screening and treatment guidance for the deadly disease.

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Stigma leads to discrimination and can affect all aspects of a person’s life. Dr. Bruna Nucera talked with Mary Secco from the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) about addressing stigma through listening to people with epilepsy and their lived experiences.

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At this year’s American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting, held March 7 to 11 in Las Vegas, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) presented new research on a variety of topics in orthopedic surgery, including studies related to minimally invasive surgery, racial disparities, and opioid alternatives for pain management in spine care.

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Read how researchers discovered genetic markers that hinder pancreatic cancer treatment and mutations that increase sarcoma risk. Then learn how artificial intelligence is helping predict prostate cancer outcomes and see how a new clinical trial looks at less-invasive breast cancer treatments. Finally, find out how a new grant could help veterans get the cancer care they need.

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Previous studies have reported high rates of death by suicide and drug overdose – including opioid overdose – in military service members with a history of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). A new study finds that those risks are highest among military members with mTBI who identify their racial/ethnic status as "Other," as opposed to standard racial/ethnic categories, reports the March/April issue of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR). The official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America, JHTR is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.