Health Disparities News and Research

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Health disparities (also called healthcare inequality in some countries) refer to gaps in the quality of health and health care across racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and socioeconomic groups.

AI algorithm may better support clinical care and research by identifying patients with adverse social determinants of health

A new study explores the use of large language models (LLMs) to obtain such vital data from EHRs to improve research outcomes and offer better clinical care.

12 Jan 2024

The equity imperative: A roundtable on transforming healthcare

In the Roundtable titled "A Glimpse at How Stakeholders Are Working Towards Achieving Health Equity," published in the peer-reviewed journal Health Equity, two expert panel discussions examine efforts to achieve maternal health equity and changes that health systems can make to operationalize health equity.

9 Jan 2024

New study reveals widespread diagnostic errors in seriously ill hospitalized adults

A study of seriously ill patients from academic medical centers across the country has found that nearly a quarter had a delayed or missed diagnosis.

8 Jan 2024

Targeted health information misses the mark for Black Americans

Strategies used by doctors to increase patient engagement with health information may work with white Americans, but can backfire with Black Americans.

26 Dec 2023

Racial health inequalities spark more support for change than economic disparities

Racial disparities related to health and physical well-being motivate Americans to take action for social change more than racial disparities related to other factors, like economics, a new study finds.

21 Dec 2023

Awareness of e-cigarette marketing tactics predicts anti-vaping attitudes in diverse young adults

Young adults who are more familiar with e-cigarette marketing practices are more likely to have attitudes against vaping than those unaware of the industry's marketing, according to a study led by Drexel University public health researchers published this month in the BMJ journal Tobacco Control.

20 Dec 2023

Hip-focused physical therapy provides faster low back pain relief in older adults

When the University of Delaware's Gregory Hicks started his research career two decades ago, he was one of only a few people in the United States studying chronic low back pain in people over 60 years old.

19 Dec 2023

Social vulnerability linked to unhealthy lifestyles and poor health in the US, study finds

Study in The American Journal of Medicine reveals that increased social vulnerability in the US leads to worse lifestyle behaviors and health characteristics, with distinct geographic disparities calling for precision medicine approaches.

18 Dec 2023

Shattering myths: Study reveals new insights on type 1 diabetes and obesity link

Review examines the relationship between type 1 diabetes and weight disorders, debunking myths about T1D and offering recommendations for future research and therapeutic interventions.

18 Dec 2023

Guiding principles to protect the public from discrimination of healthcare algorithms

A paper published today in JAMA Network Open addresses bias in healthcare algorithms and provides the healthcare community with guiding principles to avoid repeating errors that have tainted the use of algorithms in other sectors.

15 Dec 2023

The impact of racism on mental health disparities experienced by Black people in the United States

A series of literature reviews published online December 13 in The Lancet Psychiatry journal highlight the large body of evidence on the role played by racism in mental health disparities experienced by Black people living in the United States.

14 Dec 2023

$4.4 million grant drives forward standardization of social determinants of health data in EHRs

LOINC and Health Data Standards at Regenstrief Institute has received a $4.4 million grant from the Regenstrief Foundation to support expansion of work on a global initiative to categorize and standardize social determinants of health (SDOH) information into electronic health records (EHRs), an ambitious project to integrate social needs data into clinical care to more effectively address health inequities.

11 Dec 2023

£1.9 million funding supports research on drivers of health disparities and infection risk across England

Dr Rosalind Eggo, an Associate Professor of Infectious Disease Modelling at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), has been awarded over £1.9 million funding to lead research into drivers of health disparities and associated infectious disease burden across England.

8 Dec 2023

Study identifies increased burden of chronic health conditions in LGB cancer survivors

Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents and young adult cancer survivors in the United States are more likely to report experiencing chronic health conditions than their heterosexual peers with a history of cancer as well as their LGB peers without a past cancer diagnosis.

4 Dec 2023

Hispanic/Latina women with history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy more likely to have heart abnormalities

Hispanic/Latina women with a history of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) – conditions marked by high blood pressure during pregnancy – are more likely to have abnormalities in their heart structure and function decades later when compared with women without a history of HDP, according to a National Institutes of Health-supported study.

4 Dec 2023

Novel screening tool and emotional recovery program may provide mental health support for trauma patients

A novel screening tool helps to identify hospitalized trauma patients at high risk for later mental health problems, and an emotional recovery program for trauma patients is feasible, according to two studies published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons (JACS).

1 Dec 2023

Structural racism in radiotherapy needs to be addressed to ensure equitable cancer care

Everyone should get quality care, no matter the color of their skin. However, implicit bias, micro-aggressions, and a lack of cultural understanding persist, leading to oppression and unequal treatment in healthcare.

30 Nov 2023

UT Health San Antonio launches new center to transform community and global oral health

The School of Dentistry of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio has launched the Center for Global and Community Oral Health, designed to bring together various existing outreach and research programs under one umbrella to study and develop solutions to the most pressing dental challenges facing the global population.

29 Nov 2023

Racial residential segregation linked to widening health disparities

The U.S. must reduce racial residential segregation if it is to reduce racial disparities in health outcomes, according to a recently published study by researchers at Tufts University School of Medicine.