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.

Roundup: Calif. GOP wants mental health gun audit; Philadelphia hospital admissions decline; N.C. Medicaid director details budget shortfall

A selection of health policy stories from California, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Kansas and Colorado.

15 Mar 2013

Physician gender has no impact on patients’ healthcare costs or mortality

Female doctors' patients do not use health-care services more or die less frequently than patients treated by male doctors, a prospective, observational study by researchers at UC Davis Health System has found.

14 Mar 2013

Rural Latino men need better sexual health services: Study

A new study based on in-depth interviews of rural Latino men in western Oregon finds that these men need sexual health services designed for their needs, including more male health providers, more convenient clinic hours, and Spanish-speaking doctors.

8 Mar 2013

New report shows nurse migration strengthens health systems in North and Central America

International nurse migration is a multibillion-dollar global phenomenon. Historically, Mexicans and Central Americans have not played a significant part in the migration of nurses to the United States.

6 Mar 2013

Same-sex cohabitors report worse health: Study

Same-sex cohabitors report worse health than people of the same socioeconomic status who are in heterosexual marriages, according to a new study, which may provide fuel for gay marriage proponents.

27 Feb 2013

NYAM initiative to create improved supports for New York's older adults during disasters

The New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) has received $185,000 from The New York Community Trust and $100,000 from Altman Foundation to launch an initiative to create improved supports for New York's community-dwelling older adults before, during, and after disasters and other mass, long-term events, like power outages and heat waves.

26 Feb 2013

Community health team improves diabetes control in Polynesian community

A team of community health workers has been able to improve control of Type 2 diabetes in a group of individuals from American Samoa – a medically underserved territory with a high prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and other cardiovascular risk factors, report researchers.

25 Feb 2013

State highlights: Calif. opens new prison mental health facility; Vt. Senate approves assisted-death bill

California prison officials are opening a $24 million treatment center for mentally ill inmates as they urge a federal judge to end his oversight of the state's correctional system. The 44,000-square-foot building at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville opened Thursday. It includes rooms where inmates will undergo outpatient therapy, as well as offices for therapists.

16 Feb 2013

State roundup: Calif. doc supply strains under health law

The compelling facts and figures he provided the Senate Finance Committee gave feuding Democrats and Republicans the confidence to unite behind an expedited but cautious roadmap toward a federally prescribed expansion of Medicaid in Virginia.

12 Feb 2013

Four-month instructional dance program can improve health of Latino seniors

Vigorous activity can improve the physical and mental health of older adults, but for many, particularly Latinos, exercise is not a regular part of their lives, according to a University of Illinois at Chicago researcher.

11 Feb 2013

Research sheds light on how E. coli thrive in the intestine of people with IBD

Scientists have long puzzled over why "bad" bacteria such as E. coli can thrive in the guts of those with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), causing serious diarrhea. Now UC Davis researchers have discovered the answer-one that may be the first step toward finding new and better treatments for IBD.

10 Feb 2013

Academic medical centers play an integral role in developing new treatments and cures

As an internationally recognized researcher into aging and dementia, Suzanne Craft is keenly aware of the importance of volunteers in clinical studies.

9 Feb 2013

State roundup: Minn. officials want money for coverage expansion

Gov. Mark Dayton and his Human Services commissioner will travel to Washington, D.C., this week to lobby for federal money for MinnesotaCare. MinnesotaCare is a state-subsidized health plan that insures about 130,000 people under age 65. Dayton and Commissioner Lucinda Jesson are scheduled to meet Tuesday in Washington with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

5 Feb 2013

Inadequate health literacy among Latinos linked with poor understanding of antibiotic use

In the first study of its kind, researchers at the Columbia University School of Nursing have established that poor health literacy among Latino parents is associated with a poor understanding of the proper use antibiotics, particularly for upper respiratory infections (URIs), which can lead to an increase in antimicrobial resistance.

2 Feb 2013

Government mistrust and conspiracy fears deter older adults from getting tested for HIV

One out of every four people living with HIV/AIDS is 50 or older, yet these older individuals are far more likely to be diagnosed when they are already in the later stages of infection. Such late diagnoses put their health, and the health of others, at greater risk than would have been the case with earlier detection.

31 Jan 2013

Study shows high stress levels among rural pregnant women

Stress during pregnancy puts mothers' and their babies' health at risk, previous research has shown. Now, a University of Missouri study indicates low-income pregnant women in rural areas experience high levels of stress yet lack appropriate means to manage their emotional and physical well-being. Health providers should serve as facilitators and link rural women with resources.

30 Jan 2013

Roundup: Ariz. Gov. proposing hospital tax for Medicaid expansion as Nev. ponders options; Vt. hospitals form ACO

Ariz. Gov. Jan Brewer, who has become something of a conservative icon for her aggressive opposition to Mr. Obama's policies, surprised many Legislature watchers at her State of the State address last week by saying she wanted to expand the state's Medicaid program to include anyone who makes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, or $14,856 for an individual.

23 Jan 2013

Research roundup: Ameliorating physician shortages; Patients' perceptions of bias

The authors note that there is a consensus "that the current shortage of primary care physicians will worsen over the next ten years as the nation's population grows and ages and as insurance coverage expands as a result of the Affordable Care Act." They examine whether workplace changes will impact that assessment.

19 Jan 2013

Stroke patients with PTSD less likely to adhere to treatment regimens

A new survey of stroke survivors has shown that those with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are less likely to adhere to treatment regimens that reduce the risk of an additional stroke. Researchers found that 65 percent of stroke survivors with PTSD failed to adhere to treatment, compared with 33 percent of those without PTSD.

18 Jan 2013

Fox Chase's OHCHD to fund community-based patient navigation services

Fox Chase Cancer Center's Office of Health Communications and Health Disparities (OHCHD) recently received a grant from the National Breast Cancer Foundation to fund community-based patient navigation services.

16 Jan 2013