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Showing results for tags 'Health inequalities'.
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Content Article
In 2022, an illustration of a Black foetus in the womb by Nigerian medical illustrator and medical student Chidiebere Ibe, went viral. The image sparked an important conversation around representation in medical imagery and the impact this has on health outcomes for patients who are Black, Indigenous and people of colour (BIPOC). Research showed that only 5% of medical images show dark skin and only 8% of medical illustrators identified as BIPOC. A collaboration between Chidiebere Ibe, Deloitte and Johnson & Johnson, Illustrate Change aims to build the world's largest library of BIPOC medical illustrations for use in medical education and training. So far, the library contains images relevant to the following specialties: Dermatology Eye disease General health Haematology Maternal health Oncology Orthopaedics -
Content ArticleIn December 2022, Public Policy Projects brought together oncology experts and key stakeholders for a roundtable to discuss how effective partnership working in healthcare environments can reduce health inequalities in breast cancer outcomes. The objective of the roundtable was to create a series of actionable insights and recommendations for health providers to create a more resilient health and care system and, ultimately, improve breast cancer outcomes in the UK. This document is a summary of the key outcomes, insights and recommendations that were generated from the roundtable. It is not an exhaustive report of facilitating and enabling partnerships to tackle health inequalities, but rather a particular view from a group of key sector stakeholders.
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Content ArticleDespite their widespread use, the impact of commissioners’ policies for body mass index (BMI) for access to elective surgery is not clear. Policy use varies by locality, and there are concerns that these policies may worsen health inequalities. This study in BMC Medicine aimed to assess the impact of policies for BMI on access to hip replacement surgery in England. The authors used National Joint Registry data for 480,364 patients who had primary hip replacement surgery in England between January 2009 and December 2019. They found that rates of surgery fell after localities introduced policies restricting access to surgery based on BMI, whereas rates rose in localities with no policy. Localities with BMI policies have higher proportions of independently funded surgery and more affluent patients receiving surgery, indicating increasing health inequalities, and policies enforcing extra waiting time before surgery were associated with worsening mean pre-operative symptom scores and rising obesity. The authors recommend that BMI policies involving extra waiting time or mandatory BMI thresholds are no longer used to reduce access to hip replacement surgery.
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Content ArticleRace and ethnicity have been associated with poor pregnancy outcomes in many countries. In the UK, the rates of baby death and stillbirth among Black and Asian mothers are double those for White women. Most studies examine trends for individual countries. This large database study explored how race and ethnicity is linked to pregnancy outcomes in wealthy countries. Key findings Black women consistently had worse outcomes than White women across the globe. Hispanic women were three times more likely to experience baby death compared with White women. South Asian women had an increased risk of early birth and having a baby with an unexpectedly low weight (small for the length of pregnancy) compared with White women. Racial disparities in some outcomes were found in all regions. The researchers call for a global, joined-up approach to tackling disparities. Breaking down barriers to care for ethnic minorities, particularly Black women, could help. More research is needed to understand why outcomes are for worse for ethnic minorities. The researchers recommend routine collection of data on race and ethnicity. The link below takes you to the Plain English summary of the research, you can also view the full research study.
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Content ArticleGetting a GP appointment is often a challenge at the moment, but for many disabled people, access to their GP has long been a problem. The King's Fund explored disabled people’s experiences of involvement in health and care design, their experiences accessing health and care, as well as of involvement in service design. Some participants described the significant difference a GP could make: those who made someone feel listened to and validated, compared with GPs who dismissed concerns or spoke to a person’s personal assistants rather than directly to them.
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Content ArticleThe Women's Health Strategy for England was developed and published in 2022 in response to the growing recognition of the unique health needs and challenges faced by women in England (and the U.K.) and was brought forward to address longstanding gaps in women's healthcare and to promote better health outcomes for women across the country. This Forbes article looks at why women’s health should be included in every government’s agenda. The author speaks to Professor Dame Lesley Regan, Women's Health Ambassador for England about the progress of the strategy and Dr. Ranee Thakar, President of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists about the need to ensure underrepresented groups are included in the strategy.
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Content ArticleECRI is an independent non-profit that produces an annual list of Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns, and its list for 2023 includes a new emphasis on system safety. In this interview for the Betsy Lehman Center, two leaders at ECRI talk about the list and the current state of patient safety. Shannon Davila, ECRI’s Director of Total Systems Safety and Marcus Schabacker, President and CEO, discuss the need to address gaps in performance with a "total systems approach," the ongoing issue of health inequity and the patient safety risks associated with recent changes in state laws and guidance around obstetrics and maternity.
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Content ArticleThis article summarises the findings of research by Healthwatch into the impact of the cost of living crisis on people's decisions about accessing health and care. The research, which surveyed 2000 adults in England, was conducted four times between October 2022 and March 2023. It suggests that people are increasingly avoiding vital health and care services due to the fear of extra costs. Examples include avoiding: going to a dentist because of the cost of checks ups or treatment booking an NHS appointment because they couldn’t afford the associated costs, such as accessing the Internet or the cost of a phone call buying over the counter medication they normally rely on taking up one or more NHS prescriptions because of the cost. Healthwatch sets out a series of recommendations, including ensuring that the support available to help with healthcare costs is communicated to those that need it.
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In this interview, we speak to sociologist Dr Marieke Bigg about why she decided to write her debut non-fiction This won’t hurt: How medicine fails women. Marieke discusses how societal ideas about the female body have restricted the healthcare system’s approach to women’s health and describes the impact this has had on health outcomes. She also highlights areas where the health system is reframing its approach by listening to the needs of women and describes how simple changes, such as allowing women to carry out their own cervical screening at home, can make a big difference. -
Content ArticleEngland is the only country in the UK to still charge patients for prescriptions, with charges having been abolished in Wales and Scotland in 2007 and 2011, respectively. However, for patients in England, the cost is rising; in March 2023, the government announced an inflationary increase of 3.21%, bringing the prescription charge up to £9.65. And the number of people eligible to pay could increase, following government proposals to raise the upper age exemption for free prescriptions from 60 to 65 years. This article looks at the impact of prescription charges on health inequalities, particularly focusing on the impact of the cost of living crisis. The reporter speaks to pharmacists who regularly see patients making difficult choices about which prescriptions to collect, as well as highlighting research that suggests many patients with long term conditions are forgoing their medications as they cannot afford them.
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Content ArticleThis BMJ article by journalist Andrew Kersley reports on a meeting of 157 medical experts and academics held at the Royal Society of Medicine on poverty and the cost-of-living crisis, which took place in May 2023. One academic at the event warned that the long term effect of ongoing economic inequality on life expectancy was worse than six unmitigated covid pandemics. The three solutions proposed at the meeting that received the most support were: a national strategy to tackle poverty the nationwide delivery of “more affordable, quality, secure social and rental housing” urgently increasing the rate of Universal Credit as well as removing the restrictions related to total benefits and multiple children.
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Content Article
Health Inequality Data Repository (WHO)
Patient_Safety_Learning posted an article in Health inequalities
Launched in April 2023 by WHO, the Health Inequality Data Repository contains datasets of disaggregated data covering diverse topics and dimensions of inequality, from a variety of publicly available data sources. It aims to make disaggregated data more accessible and navigable to diverse global audiences. -
Content ArticleIn this blog Paul Whiteing, Chief Executive of AvMA, reflects on the recent report by the House of Commons Women and Equalities Committee on Black maternal health. Paul questions why these racial health disparities, that have long been reported on, have been allowed to continue over many decades and highlights the need for more challenging conversations as to wider root causes.
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Health inequalities newsletters by Hemant Patel
Patient Safety Learning posted an article in Health inequalities
These newsletters on LinkedIn from Hemant Patel are dedicated to raising the issue of health inequalities and population health management. -
Content ArticleThis report by The King's Fund is part of new research project that explores how NHS providers and integrated care systems (ICSs) are approaching inclusive recovery. It highlights that in 2022, people in the most deprived areas were twice as likely to be waiting more than a year for elective care compared to people in the least deprived areas. The report explores three big questions health and care leaders should be asking themselves and their teams about inequalities in their elective backlog:How are we measuring inequalities and whyDo we know why inequalities existHow will we know if things are improving?
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Content ArticleRecently, there has been a concerning increase in the number of deaths of pregnant women, especially from Black, Asian and deprived backgrounds. In addition, there have been several investigations into safety issues in maternity services, such as the Ockenden, East Kent, and Shrewsbury and Telford report. This National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Collection highlights evidence in priority areas, identified in the East Kent report, to support high-quality care and avoid safety issues in maternity services.
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Content ArticleInstitutional racism within the United Kingdom's (UK) Higher Education (HE) sector, particularly nurse and midwifery education, has lacked empirical research, critical scrutiny, and serious discussion. This paper focuses on the racialised experiences of nurses and midwives during their education in UK universities, including their practice placements. It explores the emotional, physical, and psychological impacts of these experiences. The study concludes that the endemic culture of racism in nurse and midwifery education is a fundamental factor that must be recognised and called out. The study argues that universities and health care trusts need to be accountable for preparing all students to challenge racism and provide equitable learning opportunities that cover the objectives to meet the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) requirements to avoid significant experiences of exclusion and intimidation.
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Content ArticleA new report presents the preliminary findings of the Care Post-Roe Study, and shows how US healthcare providers have been unable to provide the standard of care in states with abortion bans since the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade ten months ago, leading to harm and negative health outcomes for patients. The report shows that healthcare providers have seen increased morbidity, exacerbated pregnancy complications, an inability to provide time-sensitive care, and increased delays in obtaining care for patients in states with abortion bans. This has impacted both patients and providers and has deepened the existing inequities in the health care system for people of colour.
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Content ArticleIn 2022 the charities Sands and Tommy’s came together to form a Joint Policy Unit. Together they are focussed on achieving policy change that will save more babies’ lives during pregnancy and the neonatal period and on tackling inequalities in loss, so that everyone can benefit from the best possible outcomes. This first report from the Unit brings together a range of evidence to identify the key changes needed to save more babies’ lives and reduce inequalities in pregnancy and baby loss. None of the individual data it contains is new, but it gives decision makers a clear view of where we are now, and where action is required to make progress.
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Content ArticleThis guide aims to help health and social care workers provide dementia care, which corresponds to the needs and wishes of people from a wide range of ethnic groups, especially minority ethnic groups.
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Content Article
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition that affects people's behaviour. It has a wide range of symptoms and can affect both children and adults—people with ADHD may find it hard to focus on or complete tasks, feel restless or impatient, experience impulsiveness and find it hard to organise their time and their things.[1] ADHD can have devastating mental health implications and research studies have linked ADHD to increased suicide and mortality rates. This means that being unable to access effective treatment can be a patient safety risk for people with ADHD. In this blog, Lotty Tizzard, Patient Safety Learning’s Content and Engagement Manager, explores the state of ADHD diagnosis and treatment in the UK. She looks at why many are concerned about the waiting times for adults and children seeking an ADHD assessment and speaks to Elsa*, who was diagnosed with ADHD in her 30s, about her experiences. *Name changed -
Content ArticleEconomist Dana Peterson estimates that the economic toll of racism against Black Americans was $16 trillion over the past two decades. Discriminatory lending, wage disparities and inequities in access to higher education, among other factors, have limited the Black community’s ability to generate personal wealth and economic growth. Other minority communities have had similar experiences, and the impact goes far beyond the economy; each of these factors also takes an enormous toll on the health and wellbeing of people of colour. This is the recording of a panel discussion hosted by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, in which economic, scientific and policy experts discuss how we can build a more equitable and healthier future for everyone.
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Content ArticleIn this letter to The Lancet, Thomas Cueni, Director General of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations argues that the need to focus on equitable rollout of vaccines in the event of a future pandemic is a key global health priority. He proposes that Governments, pharma companies and other stakeholders should focus on the challenges that led to the inequitable rollout of vaccines, which he identifies as vaccine nationalism and need for more diverse manufacturing. He highlights an industry proposal for equitable response to future pandemics supported by vaccine manufacturers and biotechnologies. the proposal involves manufacturers setting aside a percentage of pandemic tools for allocation to susceptible populations in low-income countries.
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Content ArticleA formal diagnosis of dementia can help people living with the condition and their families gain a better understanding of what to expect and help to inform important decisions about treatment, support and care. Alzheimer’s Society estimate that in England, Wales and Northern Ireland there are over 300,000 people living with dementia who do not have a diagnosis. In this report they highlight barriers to accessing a timely and accurate dementia diagnosis and advocate for practical changes and tangible solutions to overcome them.
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Content ArticleHealth literacy, defined as an individual's ability to access, understand, and use health information to make informed decisions about their health and healthcare, plays a critical role in determining health outcomes. Wider determinants of health, on the other hand, refer to a range of social, economic, and environmental factors that influence an individual's health status. This article aims to explore the relationship between health literacy and the wider determinants of health, and how understanding this connection can contribute to more effective population health management and health equity.
