A recent self-assessment conducted by Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) has revealed significant disparities in the representation of skin tones in pre-clerkship dermatology lectures. Published on May 2, 2025, the study found that approximately 60% of images used in these lectures depicted white or light skin tones. This disproportionate representation can hinder medical education and ultimately affect health outcomes for minority communities.The analysis, which examined images using the New Immigrant Survey Skin Color Scale, showed that medium/brown skin tones accounted for only 16.1% of images, while dark/Black skin tones made up 24.4%. Co-author Jeremy Grachan, PhD, emphasized the importance…
Author: Disparity Matters
Sleep disorders are widespread in the United States, but Black women experience some of the most severe and least recognized consequences, according to a detailed report in Neurology Advisor. Compared with White individuals, Black patients have poorer sleep quality and higher rates of obstructive sleep apnea, yet diagnosis remains rare. Only 16.2% of Black adults with moderate to severe sleep apnea report having received a formal diagnosis, leaving many untreated and vulnerable to long-term health risks.The burden is especially heavy for Black women. Evidence cited in the report shows they sleep fewer hours, take longer to fall asleep, and have…
Twelve million American adults receive incorrect diagnoses in outpatient settings annually, with women of color bearing a disproportionate burden. Women overall face 20 to 30 percent higher risk of diagnostic errors compared to white men, but the gap widens further for minority women.An analysis by KFF Health News revealed that women and minorities experience significantly higher rates of mislabeling and misdiagnosis than white male patients. Women of color find their symptoms even more frequently attributed to anxiety, hormones, or weight issues, creating additional barriers to accurate diagnosis.This pattern of dismissal, often called medical gaslighting, delays critical diagnoses across multiple conditions.…
Asian Americans are often held up as a picture of good cardiovascular health, yet new research shows that this perception masks stark and consequential disparities across subgroups. Age-adjusted cardiovascular mortality is lowest in Asian women and overall prevalence appears slightly lower than in the general U.S. population, but that surface-level picture crumbles once ethnicity and country of origin are disaggregated. In reality, there are roughly 40 distinct Asian groups in the U.S., and their heart risks diverge sharply in ways with serious implications for racial healthData show that ischemic heart disease deaths have fallen for Chinese, Filipino, Japanese and Korean…
Hospitals can significantly reduce cesarean birth rates through targeted quality improvement initiatives, according to new guidance from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. States including California, Maryland, and Iowa have demonstrated substantial success by implementing standardized labor management protocols and clinician education programs.Key solutions include fostering a transparent safety culture that emphasizes continuous improvement and engages entire health care teams. Successful units develop champions who advocate for positive change and ensure patient voices are included throughout quality improvement projects. Patient safety bundles, checklists, and care pathways help minimize unnecessary variation and promote health equity.Clinical strategies focus on addressing known…
A recent study published in JAMA Network Open reveals that Black and Hispanic children with high-risk neuroblastoma face significantly worse survival outcomes compared to their white peers, even when treated in frontline clinical trials. Conducted by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center, the study is the first to comprehensively evaluate survival by race and ethnicity in a national cohort of children with this aggressive cancer.Neuroblastoma, the most common extracranial solid tumor in children, presents a stark disparity in outcomes. The study analyzed data from 696 children undergoing chemotherapy induction/consolidation and 935 children in post-consolidation trials through the Children’s Oncology Group.…
A new study reveals that patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) are more likely to stick with their treatment when they share racial, ethnic, or gender identities with their oncologists. The findings underscore how shared identity in clinical relationships can influence long-term health outcomes, particularly for minority communities.Published in JAMA Network Open, the study analyzed data from 443 CML patients treated at Kaiser Permanente Southern California between 2007 and 2019. Researchers found that gender concordance between patients and oncologists was linked to a 4.7-percentage point increase in treatment adherence. When both race/ethnicity and gender were shared, adherence rose by 6.7…
Despite the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), racial disparities in breast reconstruction after mastectomy continue to persist. A recent study published in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery® reveals that while overall rates of immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) have increased, significant gaps remain among different racial and ethnic groups. The study analyzed data from the American College of Surgeons’ National Surgical Quality Improvement Project, focusing on patients who underwent mastectomy before and after the ACA’s full implementation. Before the ACA, IBR rates were notably lower among minority groups, with 35.1% of White patients undergoing reconstruction compared to 22.3% of Black/African…
Maternal deaths in the United States rose slightly last year, reversing two years of decline and once again drawing attention to the stark disparities facing minority communities. Data from the CDC show 688 women died during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth, up from 669 the previous year. Though this year’s rates are lower than the historic peak witnessed during the COVID-19 pandemic, when maternal deaths reached their highest level in more than fifty years, experts warn that the improvements may be stalling.Black women remain at substantially higher risk, with previous research confirming that maternal mortality rates among Black women are…
A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals significant racial and ethnic disparities in shared decision-making (SDM) among patients with hypertension. The study, part of the RICH LIFE Project, analyzed data from 1,426 participants with uncontrolled hypertension, predominantly non-Latino Black individuals.The findings indicate that non-Latino Black patients had higher SDM scores compared to non-Latino White patients, yet disparities in hypertension control persist. Despite higher SDM scores, Black and Latino patients continue to face challenges in managing their blood pressure effectively. The study highlights that adherence to antihypertensive medication is lower among Black (36%) and Latino…