Black patients with ovarian cancer received lower quality end-of-life care compared to White patients, according to a study led by Anna Jo Smith, MD, MPH, of Johns Hopkins Medicine. The research, published in Supportive Care in Cancer, analyzed data from 1999 to 2016 for over 8,000 women aged 66 and older with ovarian cancer. The study found that Black patients were less likely to receive hospice care and more likely to experience intensive care unit (ICU) admissions and invasive procedures in the last month of life. Specifically, 39.5% of Black patients received hospice care compared to 45.8% of White patients.…
Author: Disparity Matters
A new analysis finds that state abortion bans and restrictions are likely to widen existing inequities in abortion access and exacerbate racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation study, about 60% of Black women and 59% of American Indian and Alaska Native women of reproductive age live in states with abortion bans or restrictions, compared to 53% of white women and only 28% of Asian women. The report highlights how women of color face greater barriers to traveling out-of-state for abortion care due to more limited financial resources and transportation options.Uninsured rates for women ages 18-49 are…
Tuberculosis (TB) incidence rates remain significantly higher among racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S.-born population, according to a study led by researchers at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The findings, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on April 2, 2024, highlight the need for targeted interventions to address these persistent health disparities. Yunfei Li, Mathilda Regan, Nicolas Menzies, and Nicole Swartwood from the Department of Global Health and Population analyzed approximately 32,000 TB cases reported among the U.S.-born population between 2011 and 2021. They found that individuals identifying as American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Black, or Hispanic…
Artificial intelligence has the potential to reduce longstanding racial and socioeconomic disparities in oral health care, according to experts. Despite decades of calls to action, significant inequities persist in dental health outcomes and access to care, particularly for low-income, uninsured, and racial and ethnic minority populations. “Dentistry has an opportunity to embrace AI and chart the course for other areas of medicine in reducing health disparities,” the authors write in JAMA Health Forum. They cite several ways AI could expand access and improve care: – Automating administrative tasks to encourage more dentists to treat underserved groups – Empowering mid-level providers…
Breast cancer patients living in disadvantaged neighborhoods face a significantly higher risk of mortality compared to those in more advantaged areas, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. The research highlights stark racial disparities in breast cancer outcomes tied to neighborhood conditions. The national retrospective cohort study, led by Dr. Neha Goel from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, analyzed data from 350,824 breast cancer patients diagnosed between 2013 and 2018. Researchers found that patients in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods had a 43% higher risk of breast cancer-specific mortality compared to those in the most advantaged…
“This report evaluates disparities in health and health care across racial and ethnic groups, both within states and between U.S. states. We collected data for 25 indicators of health system performance, specifically focusing on health outcomes, access to health care, and quality and use of health care services for Black, white, Hispanic, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN), and Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations.”
Health disparities in Texas are costing the state $7 billion per year in economic losses, according to a new study sponsored by several health foundations. The research found that inadequately addressing quality-of-life issues and healthcare needs of lower-income residents is having a major financial impact on Texas. “Everything from increasing access to affordable health insurance to investing in under-resourced neighborhoods to give them more options, whether that’s exercise options or food options,” said Brian Sasser, chief communications officer for the Episcopal Health Foundation. The report breaks down economic costs by county, with Bexar, Dallas, Harris, Tarrant and Travis counties losing the most money…
Black Americans are significantly more concerned about environmental threats and experience more acute ecological crises compared to other racial groups, according to a new Gallup survey. The study reveals stark racial disparities in exposure to environmental hazards and the ability to relocate when faced with pollution or contamination. The survey found that 53% of Black adults are “very” or “fairly concerned” about exposure to air pollution in their communities, compared to 46% of Hispanic adults and 35% of white adults. Concerns about drinking water contamination among Black Americans are 15 percentage points higher than the national average and 20 points…
Black Americans have overtaken white Americans in rates of “deaths of despair,” according to a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry. The research shows a dramatic shift in mortality patterns for middle-aged adults from suicide, alcohol abuse, and drug overdoses.The study found that between 2013 and 2022, the rate of these deaths among Black Americans aged 45-54 nearly tripled from 36.24 to 103.81 per 100,000 population. This surpassed the rate for whites, which stood at 102.63 per 100,000 in 2022. “Rising inequalities in deaths of despair among American Indian or Alaska Native and Black individuals were largely attributable to disproportionate early…
Native Americans have a significantly lower life expectancy compared to White Americans, with a median age at death 14 years younger according to recent CDC data. In South Dakota, the disparity is even more pronounced, with Indigenous residents dying 22 years earlier than their White counterparts. Health experts attribute this alarming gap to complex social and economic factors rather than just inadequate healthcare. Dr. Donald Warne, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, emphasizes the need for community-based prevention programs over simply hiring more medical professionals. The article highlights various challenges facing Native American communities, including high rates…