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Showing results for tags 'Health Disparities'.
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Content ArticleConcerns about Covid-19 related mental health are substantial, but the sheer volume of low quality evidence has posed a barrier to evidence synthesis and decision making. In this systematic review, Thombs et al. synthesised results of mental health outcomes in cohorts before and during the Covid-19 pandemic. The authors compared general mental health, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms in the general population and other groups during covid-19 with outcomes from the same cohorts before Covid-19. The study found high risk of bias in many studies and substantial heterogeneity suggest caution in interpreting results. Nonetheless, most symptom change estimates for general mental health, anxiety symptoms, and depression symptoms were close to zero and not statistically significant, and significant changes were of minimal to small magnitudes. Small negative changes occurred for women or female participants in all domains. The authors will update the results of this systematic review as more evidence accrues.
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Content ArticleTo mark International Women’s Day, host Helen McKenna speaks with Professor Dame Lesley Regan and Dr Janine Austin Clayton about women’s health journeys from start to finish. They explore why women can struggle to get medical professionals to listen to them and the impact this has on diagnosis and treatment, as well as the mental and physical effects on women themselves.
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Content ArticleThis is an annual report by the Children’s Commissioner review in children’s mental health services in England during 2021-22. It considers key trends in children’s access to mental health services and considers the current state of care provided to children who are admitted to inpatient mental health settings.
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Content Article
Sex and gender bias in health and social care results in poor outcomes for patients and has a negative impact on safety during care and treatment. For the last two International Women’s Days, Patient Safety Learning has highlighted patient safety concerns on this topic, considering the broader risk to safety posed by this bias and the impact on outcomes and safety of women being historically underrepresented in clinical trials and medication research.[1] [2] The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is #EmbraceEquity. In support of this aim, there are seven different missions which have been identified to help forge a gender-equal world, including one focused specifically on health: “To assist women to be in a position of power to make informed decisions about their health”[3] This year we will focus on this mission, considering the relationship between women’s health, informed consent and patient safety. We will first set out what we mean by informed consent, before discussing how failures in consent can have a negative impact on women’s health. Then we will consider the UK Women’s Health Strategy in relation to these issues, and discuss what is needed to improve patient safety.- Posted
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Content Article
Bulletin of the World Health Organization
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in WHO
The Bulletin of the World Health Organization is a fully open-access monthly journal of public health with a special focus on low and middle-income countries. -
Content ArticleThis online course by NHS England helps participants learn how to engage with different people and communities to reduce inequalities and ensure inclusive access to healthcare. It involves three hours of study time per week over two weeks and aims to equip healthcare professionals to: help the people they work with access healthcare services understand how people have different experiences in their access to healthcare explore inclusive engagement activities develop an awareness of implicit bias and underrepresentation
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Content ArticleThe UK Rare Diseases Framework was published in January 2021 and set out a shared vision for addressing health inequalities and improving the lives of people living with rare diseases across the UK. This is England’s second Rare Diseases Action Plan, following the commitment to publish action plans annually during the lifetime of the UK Rare Diseases Framework. This action plan has been developed in close collaboration with delivery partners across the health system and the rare disease community. It reports on progress against the 16 actions set out in the first Rare Diseases Action Plan and announces 13 new specific, measurable actions for the next year under the framework’s priority areas and underpinning themes.
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Content ArticleA framework from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) setting out a coherent, national vision on how the UK will improve the lives of those living with rare diseases. The framework outlines 4 key national priorities: helping patients get a final diagnosis faster increasing awareness among healthcare professionals better co-ordination of care improving access to specialist care, treatment and drugs.
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Content ArticleFor people who have sensory impairments or learning disabilities, understanding complex medical information presents a barrier to access. The Accessible (AIS) Information Standard, introduced in 2016, gives disabled people and people with sensory loss the legal right to receive health and social care information and communications in a format that works for them. In 2018, two years after the AIS became law, Karl, who is blind and relies on braille and assistive technologies to access information and communication about his healthcare and appointments, contacted his local Healthwatch to tell them he was having ongoing issues accessing his healthcare information and communications. This case study tells Karl's story and highlights why considering patients' individuals accessibility needs is so important.
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Content ArticleThe 2022 Workforce Race Equality Standard (WRES) report enables organisations to compare their performance with others in their region and those providing similar services, with the aim of encouraging improvement by learning and sharing good practice. It provides a national picture of WRES in practice, to colleagues, organisations and the public on the developments in the workforce race equality agenda The WRES provide detailed analysis to enable employers to understand how their staff experience compares with others in their region and with similar specialism.
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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.
