California health policy officials plan to leverage emerging artificial intelligence (AI) technology to translate a wide range of documents and websites related to health and social services. According to state records, this initiative aims to make critical health care forms, applications, and information available to more people in the nation’s most linguistically diverse state. The project will begin by translating written material, with human editors overseeing and editing the translations. If successful, the technology may be applied more broadly, transforming not only documents but also websites and call center interactions. However, some translators and scholars express concerns about the limitations…
Author: Disparity Matters
Helping youth and underserved communities develop swimming skills and water safety awareness
Black Americans have experienced an excessive rate of cardiovascular deaths compared with White Americans over the past two decades despite overall improvements in care, according to new data. The disparities are present across the spectrum of heart disease, from ischemic heart disease to hypertension as well as cerebrovascular disease and heart failure. “Our study reveals that Black Americans, because of their higher cardiovascular mortality rates compared with white Americans, have suffered almost 800,000 excess deaths, which translates to about 24 million additional years of life lost between 2000 and 2022,” said researcher Harlan M. Krumholz, MD, of Yale New Haven Hospital.…
Developing new generation of Native American health leaders
Children with asthma are substantially less likely to see an outpatient specialist if they have Medicaid rather than private health insurance, according to a new study. The study analyzed child-year observations in the Massachusetts All Payer Claims Database from 2014 to 2020. Researchers found that specialty care use was reported in 11.9% of publicly insured observations, compared to 20.6% of privately insured observations (P < 0.001). Despite children with Medicaid having higher rates of persistent asthma, disparities in specialist care by insurance type were even more striking in this group. Dr. Kimberley Geissler, lead author from the University of Massachusetts…
Nearly half of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) in Texas are foregoing routine healthcare due to cost concerns, according to a new survey by the Episcopal Health Foundation. The report highlights significant health disparities and barriers to care faced by this growing population in the Lone Star State. The survey found that one in five AAPI Texans struggle to pay medical bills when they do receive treatment. High costs, lack of affordable housing, and unreliable transportation were identified as key factors negatively impacting their health and access to care. Brian Sasser, chief communications officer for Episcopal Health Foundation, emphasized…
A large genetic study has uncovered new genes linked to breast cancer risk in women of African descent, potentially improving early detection and treatment for this underserved population. Researchers analyzed genetic data from over 40,000 women of African ancestry, including 18,000 breast cancer patients, in what is believed to be the largest such study to date. The findings were published May 13 in Nature Genetics. The study identified 12 genetic regions associated with breast cancer risk, including three linked to aggressive triple-negative breast cancer, which disproportionately affects Black women. Women carrying two copies of risk variants in all three regions were 4.2…
Conducting community health needs assessments to tailor health plans to better serve uninsured and underinsured individuals
Access to health care is severely limited in rural and reservation areas of South Dakota, exposing the fragility of the medical system in these regions. Recent disruptions in Sisseton, including the cessation of baby deliveries at the local public hospital and temporary unavailability of mammogram services at the Indian Health Service facility, highlight the precarious state of health care access. Sara DeCoteau, tribal health coordinator for the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate tribe, described the situation as a “maternity care desert.” The challenges extend beyond Sisseton, with similar issues reported in other rural areas like Bison. Significant health disparities persist between Native American and non-Native…
Black patients are significantly less likely to use telehealth services compared to white patients, exacerbating existing racial disparities in healthcare access, according to recent studies. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of telehealth, but this digital solution has not benefited all communities equally. A study from JCO Oncology Practice found that while Black patients made up 43% of total patient visits at East Carolina University Health System, they accounted for only 29% of telehealth visits. Another study revealed that Black patients in New York City were 60% more likely to use emergency rooms for COVID-related care than telehealth, compared to 47%…