States with the highest American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations have the worst health system outcomes for Native peoples, according to a new study from the Commonwealth Fund. The report found significant disparities for AI/AN people, who have shorter life expectancies, higher rates of treatable diseases and chronic illnesses, and increased maternal and infant mortality compared to white and Hispanic populations. Alaska, South Dakota, Montana, Arizona and North Dakota – states with large Native populations – ranked among the lowest for AI/AN health outcomes. In Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota, Native peoples had some of the highest rates nationwide for premature…
Author: Disparity Matters
A significant change in kidney transplant evaluation criteria has led to thousands of Black patients moving up the waitlist, addressing long-standing racial disparities in healthcare. The adjustment comes after recognizing that an outdated medical test may have inappropriately calculated the need for transplants among Black kidney patients. The previous evaluation system, which included race as a factor, was based on outdated studies assuming differences in kidney function between Black patients and other groups. This race-based score often resulted in Black patients being placed lower on the transplant waitlist. Martha Pavlakis, former chair of the kidney committee with the Organ Procurement and Transplantation…
In the quiet town of Zelienople, Pennsylvania, 9-year-old Jax Ramirez faces a daily battle against a rare autoimmune disease that threatens his life. Diagnosed with IPEX syndrome at age 6, Jax’s only hope for a cure lies in finding a matching bone marrow donor. However, his diverse genetic makeup, which includes Hispanic, Brazilian, African, and mixed European ancestry, has made this search akin to “winning the lottery,” according to his doctors.Jax’s struggle sheds light on a broader issue in the U.S. healthcare system: the stark disparities in organ and tissue donation among different racial and ethnic groups. While white patients…
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.…
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…