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Showing results for tags 'Health Disparities'.
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News Article
Health inequities lead to early death in many persons with disabilities
Patient-Safety-Learning posted a news article in News
A new report by the World Health Organization shows evidence of a higher risk of premature death and illness among many persons with disabilities compared to others in the society. The Global report on health equity for persons with disabilities published today shows that because of the systemic and persistent health inequities, many persons with disabilities face the risk of dying much earlier—even up to 20 years earlier—than persons without disabilities. They have an increased risk of developing chronic conditions, with up to double the risk of asthma, depression, diabetes, obesity, oral diseases, and stroke. Many of the differences in health outcomes cannot be explained by the underlying health condition or impairment, but by avoidable, unfair and unjust factors. Read more Source: WHO, 2 December 2022 -
News Article
Poorer women in UK have sixth-highest cancer death rates in Europe, WHO finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
Poorer women in Britain have some of the highest death rates from cancer in Europe, an in-depth new World Health Organization study has found. They are much more likely to die from the disease compared with better-off women in the UK and women in poverty in many other European countries. Women in the UK from deprived backgrounds are particularly at risk of dying from cancer of the lungs, liver, bladder and oesophagus (foodpipe), according to the research by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the WHO’s specialist cancer body. IARC experts led by Dr Salvatore Vaccarella analysed data from 17 European countries, looking for socioeconomic inequalities in mortality rates for 17 different types of cancer between 1990 and 2015. Out of the 17 countries studied, Britain had the sixth-worst record for the number of poor women dying of cancer. It had the worst record for oesophageal cancer, fourth worst for lung and liver cancer and seventh worst for breast and kidney cancer. However, the UK has a better record on poor men dying of cancer compared with their counterparts in many of the other 16 countries. It ranked fifth overall, second for cancer of the larynx and pharynx, and third for lung, stomach and colon cancer. That stark gender divide is most likely because women in the UK began smoking in large numbers some years after men did so, the researchers believe. They pointed to the fact that while cases of lung cancer have fallen among men overall in Britain, they have remained stable or increased among women, and gone up among women from deprived backgrounds. Read full story Source: The Guardian, 28 November 2022 -
News Article
‘Staggering’ rise in restraint of black people in mental healthcare
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The rate of people from black backgrounds being restrained in mental healthcare has more than doubled in the past six years, widening the gap with other racial groups, according to official NHS data. Standardised rates of black and black British people subject to restrictive interventions – including physical, chemical and mechanical restraints – have leapt from 52.1 per 100,000 people in 2016-17 to 106.2 in 2021-22. That is compared to a much smaller increase of 30% in the same period for people from white backgrounds, from 15.8 per 100,000 to 20.5. NHS race and health observatory director Habib Naqvi told HSJ he was “very concerned” at the rise. He said a “range of complex causes are likely to be presented to account for this pattern”, including disparities in care pathways, late presentation and lack of timely diagnosis, and general overuse of restrictive practice on people from minority ethnic backgrounds. He added: “It is critical we also focus on ‘causes of the causes’ of these disparities, including the impact of discrimination and bias on access, experience and therefore outcomes of mental health services.” Read full story (paywalled) Source: HSJ, 24 November 2022 -
News ArticleVoices offer lots of information. Turns out, they can even help diagnose an illness — and researchers in the USA are working on an app for that. The National Institutes of Health is funding a massive research project to collect voice data and develop an AI that could diagnose people based on their speech. Everything from your vocal cord vibrations to breathing patterns when you speak offers potential information about your health, says laryngologist Dr. Yael Bensoussan, the director of the University of South Florida's Health Voice Center and a leader on the study. "We asked experts: Well, if you close your eyes when a patient comes in, just by listening to their voice, can you have an idea of the diagnosis they have?" Bensoussan says. "And that's where we got all our information." Someone who speaks low and slowly might have Parkinson's disease. Slurring is a sign of a stroke. Scientists could even diagnose depression or cancer. The team will start by collecting the voices of people with conditions in five areas: neurological disorders, voice disorders, mood disorders, respiratory disorders and pediatric disorders like autism and speech delays. This isn't the first time researchers have used AI to study human voices, but it's the first time data will be collected on this level — the project is a collaboration between USF, Cornell and 10 other institutions. The ultimate goal is an app that could help bridge access to rural or underserved communities, by helping general practitioners refer patients to specialists. Long term, iPhones or Alexa could detect changes in your voice, such as a cough, and advise you to seek medical attention. Read full story Source: NPR, 10 October 2022
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News Article
Poorer areas in England suffer most from GP shortage, study finds
Patient Safety Learning posted a news article in News
The gap between the number of GPs per patient in richer and poorer parts of England is widening, according to analysis by University of Cambridge. The study for BBC Newsnight saw "stark inequalities" in GPs' distribution. Separate BBC research also found patient satisfaction on measures such as how easy a practice is to reach by phone is lower in deprived areas. The Department of Health and Social Care said it was focusing support on those who need it most. Earlier this year, public satisfaction with GP care - as measured by the British Social Attitudes poll - fell to its lowest level across England since the survey began in 1983. The fall was widespread across all income groups. The finding chimes with a Health Foundation analysis of official checks on the quality of services carried out by the Care Quality Commission (CQC). It found practices serving patients living in the most deprived areas are more likely to receive CQC ratings of "inadequate" and "requires improvement" than those serving patients who live in the most affluent areas. Read full story Source: BBC News, 4 November 2022 -
Content ArticleCommunication barriers are the number one reason Deaf people have poorer health compared to hearing people. This blog by the organisation SignHealth gives 12 tips for healthcare workers and non-clinical staff on how to communicate with Deaf people. It also describes the difficulties Deaf people face when booking appointments and describes why remote consultations are problematic for Deaf people.
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Content Article
Survey - Asthma is worse for women (27 April 2022)
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Women's health
Women often have worse asthma than men, and female sex hormones can affect the condition. Asthma and Lung UK are conducting a survey to find out more about women's experience of asthma - women with asthma and those that care for them are invited to take the survey, which takes about five minutes to complete and is completely anonymous. Asthma and Lung UK have also published a report, Asthma is Worse for Women, outlining the need for more research into asthma and female sex hormones. -
Content ArticleGlobally, there are 136 million women with asthma. Asthma is more common among women, women experience more severe symptoms and they are more likely to die from their asthma. Many women experience a significant worsening of symptoms around menstruation and are at risk of potentially fatal asthma attacks every month. However, there has been very little research to understand why. Asthma and Lung UK has published this report following a roundtable meeting with scientists, funders and pharmaceutical companies to discuss how to transform outcomes for women with asthma. The report covers information on sex bias in asthma and looks at recent developments in understanding about the condition, highlighting areas for further research. The report also makes the case for increasing funding to deliver better outcomes for women with asthma, strengthening leadership and infrastructure in asthma treatment, and increasing innovation in drug trials. Alongside the report, Asthma and Lung UK has made a short video where one woman talks about her experience of severe asthma, how it has affected her life and why we need more research into the link between asthma, periods and female hormones. Asthma and Lung UK has also released a survey to find out more about women's experience of living with asthma.
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Content ArticleMuch research has been done into the causes, extent and impact of health inequalities that affect rural and coastal populations. Health services in these areas currently face serious challenges due to a combination of factors, including social deprivation, ageing populations and workforce staffing issues. In this blog, Patrick Mitchell, Director of Innovation, Digital and Transformation at Health Education England (HEE), describes a new HEE programme that aims to help tackle health inequalities in rural and coastal areas.
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Content Article
Maternity Action - Dignity in pregnancy
Patient-Safety-Learning posted an article in Maternity
This video by the organisation Maternity Action looks at the impact of UK Border Agency policies on pregnant women seeking asylum. The video highlights the unique challenges faced by women in this situation, including the risk of sudden deportation, lack of rights and mental health issues associated with trauma and lack of perinatal support. Two women share their stories of being pregnant and having young babies while in the asylum system. -
Content ArticleOlder generations are becoming more diverse than ever, but also more unequal. Tackling these inequalities is important to ensure that everyone is able to live a good later life. This set of downloadable 'evidence cards' by the Centre for Ageing Better highlights the severe inequalities experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic groups approaching retirement age, and what causes these inequalities. The evidence cards are available to download as both PDF and image files.
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Content ArticleThe recent workforce race equality standard report described how staff from a Black and minority ethnic background are less well represented at senior levels of the NHS, and that they have worse day-to-day work experiences and face more challenges in progressing their careers. In this Nuffield Trust chart, Billy Palmer shows how stark some of the differences are.
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Content ArticleThe National Paediatric Diabetes Audit (NPDA) is performed annually in England and Wales and aims to provide information that leads to improved quality care for children and young people affected by diabetes. The audit is funded by the Department of Health through the Healthcare Quality Improvement Partnership (HQIP). Key messages in this 2020-21 annual report on care processes and outcomes include: There was an increase of an increase of 20.7% in the number of children aged 0-15 diagnosed with type 1 diabetes compared with 2019-20. Completion rates on recommended health checks were lower than in previous years due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. There was wide variation between paediatric diabetes units in the completion rates of all key annual health checks. A smaller percentage of newly-diagnosed children and young people started insulin pump therapy compared to previous years. The national median HbA1c (a measure of blood glucose control) reduced from 61.5 mmol/mol to 61.0mmol/mol between 2019/20 and 2020/21, following several years of year on year decreases (improvement) in the national median. Children from ethnic minorities were less likely to be using insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) than white children. However, the highest percentage increase between audit years in the use of CGMs was seen in black children and young people with type 1 diabetes.
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Content ArticleDiabetes UK are calling on government for a recovery plan to tackle 'devastating’ diabetes care delays – before it’s too late Diabetes is serious and people living with diabetes have been ‘pushed to the back of the queue’ during the coronavirus pandemic and a national recovery plan is needed to support front-line healthcare teams in getting vital services back on track. Diabetes UK warn that despite the tireless efforts of the NHS through the pandemic, many people living with the condition are still struggling to access the care they need, putting them at risk of serious complications, which can lead to premature death. This new report published by Diabetes UK as part of our Diabetes Is Serious campaign, shows the scale of the problem and sets out a series of calls to UK Government to tackle it.
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Content ArticleEpistemic injustice occurs when a person is not given authority and credibility as a 'knower' in a conversation, due to negative stereotypes associated with their identity. These stereotypes might relate to their age, gender, ethnicity, social class, education, sexual orientation or health. Young people with unusual experiences and beliefs are particularly at risk of experiencing epistemic injustice, and this can have a negative impact on their health outcomes. In this blog Joe Houlders, Matthew Broome and Lisa Bortolotti from the University of Birmingham talk about the risks of young people with unusual experiences and beliefs experiencing epistemic injustice in clinical encounters. This is the first in a series of blogs reporting outcomes from a project on Agency in Youth Mental Health, led by Rose McCabe at City University.
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Content ArticleThe article in the Journal of Global Health examines the unique patient safety risks that can arise in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings (FCV), including humanitarian crises, conflict, extreme adversity, services disruption and immediate or protracted emergencies. Recent estimates suggest a large proportion of the total number of preventable deaths take place in FCV settings, including 60% of preventable maternal deaths, 53% of deaths in children under five years, and 45% of neonatal deaths. The authors highlight a gap in knowledge and research about healthcare in FCV settings, which prevents researchers from being able to effectively assess interventions for quality, safety and sustainability. They suggest that more academic research is urgently needed in order to make policy and practice more effective in improving patient safety in these settings.
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Content ArticleIn this article in the journal Public Health, Göran Dahlgren and Margaret Whitehead, the original authors of the Dahlgren and Whitehead model of the main determinants of health, sometimes known as ‘The Rainbow Model', reflect on how the model has been used over the past thirty years. They tell the story of the model’s journey from initial rejection to worldwide acclaim, and reflect on why it has proved illuminating in many different settings. The authors also outline how they use the model with the complementary Diderichsen Framework to explain the how the known determinants of health bring about health inequalities. They then discuss what else needs to be done to gain insight and take action on determinants of health and growing inequalities in the post-pandemic world.
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Content ArticleThis report by the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists (RCOG) examines the real-life impact of long gynaecology waiting lists on women and on the wider health system. It highlights the problems that existed in accessing NHS gynaecology services before the Covid-19 pandemic, and reveals how the situation has become far worse due to the backlog of care: Gynaecology waiting lists across the UK have now reached a combined figure of over 570,000 women across the UK – just over a 60% increase on pre-pandemic levels Gynaecology waiting lists in England have grown the most in percentage terms of all elective specialties The number of women waiting over a year for care in England has increased from 66 before the pandemic to nearly 25,000 RCOG recognises that gynaecology has often been overlooked, and calls for the specialty to be given parity in recovery plans.
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Content ArticleIn this blog for NHS Confederation, Kadra Abdinasir talks about how mental health services have failed to engage with young black men, and describes how services need to change to overcome the issue. She argues that delivering effective mental health support for young black men requires a move away from a crisis-driven response, to investment in system-driven, community-based projects. Kadra looks at learning from Shifting the Dial, a three-year programme recently piloted in Birmingham as a response to the growing and unmet needs of young black men aged 16 to 25. A recent report on the project found that most young men involved in Shifting the Dial reported good outcomes related to their wellbeing, confidence, sense of belonging and understanding of mental health.
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Content ArticleThis report by the Health and Social Care Commons Select Committee examines why cancer outcomes in England remain behind other comparable countries. For example, 58.9% of people in England diagnosed with colon cancer will live for five years or more, compared to 66.8% in Canada and 70.8% in Australia. The report identifies key issues in early diagnosis, access to treatment, variation in services and research and innovation, and makes recommendations aimed at improving cancer survival rates in England.
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Content ArticleIn the 1790s, François Marie Prevost, a young French surgeon fresh from his medical training in Paris moved to Port-de-Paix, Haiti. “Of course at that time Haiti was France's most economically valuable colony”, says historian Deirdre Cooper Owens. “So there he began some experimental work on enslaved Haitian women, trying to perfect the caesarean section.” Prevost's sojourn coincided with the leadership of Toussaint Louverture, who had been born a slave, the fight for Haitian independence, and the abolition of slavery. And so Prevost left Haiti for Louisiana. “He moved to a little town outside of Baton Rouge, and began experimental surgery on enslaved women there, perfecting the caesarean section, and he did this in the 1830s, the era before the civil war that ends slavery.” It was also an era in which Louisiana surgeons were reluctant to attempt the experimental surgery on white women. Of the 15 caesarean sections done by Prevost and others in Louisiana between 1820 and 1861, all were performed on enslaved women. “At the time, in the 19th century, during the time of slavery, they couldn’t consent”, she explains. “But this is the really interesting thing: from the 1830s all the way to the 21st century, Louisiana has been in the top three states with the most caesarean sections on Black women patients…So what's going on, did all of these women need to have caesarean sections?”
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Content ArticleThis statement from Hugh Alderwick, Director of Policy, outlines the Health Foundation's response to the House of Commons votes on the Health and Care Bill on 30 March 2022. He highlights the potential for the policies voted through to increase health inequalities, and to stall attempts to improve health and care workforce planning.
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Content ArticleWhen people already negatively affected by unfavourable social determinants of health seek care, healthcare itself may make health inequalities worse, rather than tackling them. This is seen in certain demographic groups experiencing disproportionate levels of harm. This article in The BMJ argues that focusing on patient safety in terms of specific health inequalities will help make healthcare more equally safe. It looks at interpersonal and structural factors that shape care experiences for people from marginalised backgrounds, including poor communication, basing treatment on models built around majority norms and healthcare worker bias. It highlights the importance of having a clear line of accountability for unequal harms so that individuals and organisations are given responsibility for taking action to overcome issues.
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Content ArticleJail can never be a safe place to be pregnant but the flouting of rules makes things worse. No woman should suffer as I did, writes Anna Harley in this Guardian article.
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Content Article1 in 5 women are affected by maternal mental health problems, which are the leading cause of maternal death in the first postnatal year. This report by the Maternal Mental Health Alliance (MMHA) estimates the costs and benefits of a model of care which could give women’s mental health the same priority as their physical health during the perinatal period. The model focuses on the essential role of midwives and health visitors and would allow for women’s mental wellbeing to be accurately assessed at every routine contact and suitable treatments to be offered. It is based on research commissioned by MMHA and conducted by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), which estimates that making changes to standard practice could mean £52 million in NHS savings and quality of life improvements worth £437 million.
