Health Equity

Race-neutral eGFR formula moves black patients up on transplant list

April 24, 2024 - According to an article released by the AP in early April 2024, transitions toward a race-neutral calculation for estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) have been critical in improving transplant status for Black Kidney transplant candidates. An estimated 14,300 Black candidates have risen on the transplant list between January 2023 and March...

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NIH Precision Medicine Data Detects 275 Million New Genetic Variants

by Veronica Salib

Last week, researchers from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program published an article in Nature identifying over 275 million new genetic variants across approximately...

47% of Trans Individuals Considered Moving Due to State Laws

by Veronica Salib

According to a recently published survey, nearly half of transgender individuals in the United States have considered moving because of restrictive anti-trans laws, including banning access to...

Minimizing the Impact of Bias in Healthcare Algorithms

by Veronica Salib

Last week, researchers published a special communications article in JAMA Network Open outlining principles to address and minimize the impacts of racial and ethnic bias in healthcare algorithms. The...

COVID-19 Pandemic Reduced US Emergency Department Pediatric Readiness

by Veronica Salib

An assessment published in JAMA Network Open on national pediatric readiness in United States emergency departments (ED) found that the COVID-19 pandemic reduced readiness. However, additional...

Chicago Department of Public Health Tests for Polio in Wastewater

by Veronica Salib

In an announcement on March 17, 2023, the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH) stated that it is testing the wastewater for poliovirus, expanding current analysis and surveillance. The...

USPSTF Issues Recommendation for Hypertensive Disorders in Pregnancy

by Veronica Salib

The United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recently issued a draft recommendation —open for public commentary until March 6, 2023 — for hypertensive disorders during...

RWJF Proposes Considerations to Enhance Public Health

by Veronica Salib

The COVID-19 pandemic was a significant turning point in public health in the United States. When the pandemic began, providers and healthcare facilities were hit hard with waves of illness. On top of...

Why HIV Patients Still Need Health Equity 40 Years After the First Diagnoses

by Hayden Schmidt

Cases of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were first reported in the United States in June of 1981. At the time, HIV/AIDS was shrouded in fear and...

Oral and Temporal Thermometer Readings Differ in Black Patients

by Veronica Salib

Temporal thermometers are widely used in hospitals, physicians’ offices, and homes to identify fever. Despite their universally accepted uses, there has been little data to determine whether...

Globally Pervasive Class of Chemicals Linked to Cancer and Liver Damage

by Hayden Schmidt

 A study published last week in the Journal of Hepatology found that high levels of perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) were associated with an increased risk of hepatocellular carcinoma. The...

US Organ Transplant System Threatens the Lives of Organ Recipients

by Veronica Salib

The organ transplant system is run by the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS). The system has historically been criticized for its multiple shortcomings. More recently, the organ transplant system...

Vision Loss after Glaucoma Diagnosis Is More Likely in Black Patients

by Veronica Salib

A study published in Translational Vision Science and Technology using data from the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) found that following a glaucoma diagnosis, Black patients were...

American Men Have the Highest Rate of Preventable Death

by Veronica Salib

A recent analysis of data from the Commonwealth Fund’s 2020 International Health Policy Survey and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that men in the United...

Racial Differences in Pulse Oximeter Performance May Lead to Inequity

by Veronica Salib

On July 11, 2022, researchers published an article in JAMA Internal Medicine noting racial differences in pulse oximeter performance. Researchers also postulated that these discrepancies might be...

Risk of Late Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Impacted by Income and Education

by Veronica Salib

On June 20, an article was published highlighting that income and education impacted the risk of late diagnosis of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The study noted that areas with lower income and...

Unusual STI Linked to Social Determinants of Health and Access to Care

by Hayden Schmidt

Trichomoniasis — caused by Trichomonas vaginalis (TV) — is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI) that is often present without symptoms but can cause serious complications if left...

CDC Reports Reduction in HIV Diagnoses During Coronavirus Pandemic

by Hayden Schmidt

An annual CDC report that measures HIV diagnoses found a disquieting 17% reduction in diagnoses during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic. Data from 2020 showed that 30,635 people had been...

Study Links Ubiquitous Chemical to Liver Damage

by Hayden Schmidt

A manufactured set of chemicals — polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) — are found in a large group of industrial products, including non-stick cookware and waterproof clothing. Recently, a...

Long-COVID Study; A Lingering Issue for Mental Healthcare

by Hayden Schmidt

Participants in a recent study from the University of Cambridge are revealing troubling signs of the long-term effects that the coronavirus can have on mental health. The research published last week...

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