A new study suggests that cancer patients who seek information about insurance coverage and costs may face delays in receiving medical care. Published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, the research reveals that patients engaging in administrative tasks related to their healthcare were 18 percent more likely to experience delays or miss appointments and treatments. The study, led by Dr. Meredith Doherty from the University of Pennsylvania, analyzed data from a CancerCare survey of 510 cancer patients and survivors. Participants who sought information about out-of-pocket costs, insurance coverage, or appealed benefit denials were more likely to postpone or skip doctor’s appointments,…
Author: Disparity Matters
A new report finds that racial and ethnic inequities in healthcare continue to plague every U.S. state, despite increased awareness and legislation aimed at improving health outcomes for minorities over the past two decades. The 300-page document from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine details how structural racism and environmental factors contribute to worse health outcomes for people of color, including higher rates of maternal and infant mortality, lower life expectancy, and increased chronic disease. “Inequities are baked into our healthcare system, and if we address them, everyone benefits,” said Georges Benjamin, MD, executive director of the American…
Significant racial disparities in the clinical presentation of Frontotemporal Dementia (FTD) symptoms and disease severity was found in a recent study published in JAMA Neurology. The study, which analyzed data from 2,478 individuals diagnosed with behavioral variant FTD (bvFTD) or primary progressive aphasia (PPA), found that Black/African American individuals had higher severity scores than White and Asian individuals. Black/African American individuals also showed a higher frequency of delusions, agitation, and depression, and greater severity for these symptoms1. In contrast, White individuals were more likely to exhibit apathy than Black/African Americans1. Asian individuals more frequently experienced apathy, nighttime disturbances, and eating-related…
In a recent analysis, the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) found that while overall estimated new HIV infection rates declined by 23% from 2012 to 2022, the rate has not fallen as much for Latinos compared to other racial and ethnic groups. Latinos, constituting about 19% of the U.S. population, accounted for approximately 33% of new HIV infections in 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Among gay and bisexual men, Latinos made up the largest share of new HIV diagnoses and infections in 2022. Despite this, they are experiencing a disproportionate number of new infections and…
High levels of neighborhood violence may contribute to lung cancer progression, potentially explaining disparities in outcomes between Black and White men, according to a new study by University of Illinois researchers. The study, published in Cancer Research Communications, found that chronic stress from living in high-violence areas alters cortisol metabolism and glucocorticoid binding within tumors, driving pathways associated with tumor aggressiveness. Researchers examined tissue samples from 15 lung cancer patients in Chicago, finding differences in gene expression and glucocorticoid receptor binding based on patients’ zip codes. Those from high-crime areas showed lower glucocorticoid receptor binding in tumor tissues and activation of genes…
Two years after Roe v. Wade was overturned, abortion access remains severely restricted for many Black women, according to reproductive rights advocates. Fourteen states have enacted near-total abortion bans since the Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, with several others imposing strict limits. This has forced millions of women to travel across state lines or seek medication abortions online. Black women are disproportionately impacted by these restrictions, experts say. Dr. Regina Davis Moss of the National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda called reproductive justice “absolutely a racial issue.” “Dismantling systemic racism is at the core of the reproductive justice framework,” Davis Moss said. A new…
A five-minute, culturally neutral cognitive assessment tool, 5-Cog, has been developed by a research team led by Dr. Joe Verghese from Albert Einstein College of Medicine1. This tool is designed to improve dementia detection and management in older adults, particularly those living in disadvantaged areas throughout the U.S. The need for such a tool arises from the fact that signs of cognitive impairment are often missed by healthcare providers in busy primary care settings, especially among older Black and Hispanic Americans. Traditional tests for dementia can be lengthy, expensive, and require trained clinicians to administer. Many of these tests were…
Increasing access to prenatal and postpartum care in Washington DC’s wards with highest infant mortality
Kidney disease is a leading cause of death in the U.S., with Black Americans three times more likely than white Americans to develop kidney failure. Despite constituting only 12% of the U.S. population, Black Americans account for 35% of those with kidney failure. This disparity is partly due to the higher prevalence of diabetes and high blood pressure, the two largest contributors to kidney disease, in the Black community. Nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. are awaiting kidney transplantation. Although Black Americans are more likely to need transplants, they are less likely to receive them. Compounding the issue, kidneys from…
A genetic variation common in people of African ancestry is associated with an increased risk of complications from diabetes, including diabetic retinopathy, according to a report published in Nature Medicine1. The study, the largest ancestry-stratified, genetic estimation of the heritability of diabetic retinopathy conducted to date, included over 46,000 individuals of non-Hispanic African ancestry. The investigators found that the diagnosis of diabetes and treatment needed to prevent diabetes complications may be delayed in people who carry the variant, G6PDdef, because it is associated with reduced levels of HbA1c, a widely used clinical marker of blood glucose levels. Testing for genetic…