Health Disparities

Health disparities have the largest impact on the access, quality of care and outcomes overall in many patient populations defined by factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, education level, income, disability, geographic location. Many other factors also play a role, including if a patient is in a rural of urban location, distances to hospitals, pharmacies and clinics. These factors of inequitable access or healthcare are often directly related to the historical and ongoing unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources. This page includes content defining health disparities and efforts to address them.
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American Medical Association declares racism an ‘urgent public health threat’

AMA called for systemic and structural change to improve the health of the nation as a whole.

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NIH partners on $26.5M study analyzing prostate cancer disparities in black men

Major healthcare organizations, including branches of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have launched a $26.5 million study to investigate the genetic and socioeconomic factors surrounding black men’s increased susceptibility to more aggressive forms of prostate cancer, according to an NIH release.

ASRT patient-centered care series focuses on serving diverse populations

The American Society of Radiologic Technologists has launched Patient-centered Care for Diverse Populations, a new online educational series that highlights strategies and tactics for delivering high-quality care for different patient populations.

Disparities based on age, race persist in PET use for lung cancer patients

Demographic differences in the use of PET imaging among Medicare beneficiaries with non-small cell lung cancer have persisted since the modality’s approval by Medicare in 1998, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Radiology.

Fine Line: Gender Disparities in Cardiac Disease Management

Imaging often the bedrock for first diagnosing and then treating cardiac disease remains challenging and inconsistent in women.

Counseling increases mammo screening in low income populations

The most effective way to increase mammography screening among hard-to-reach, low-income, insured women is a stepwise intervention method or counseling program, according to a study published online June 29 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. The study found counseling increased screening compliance in the target population by 13.7 percent compared to the control group.

New rankings provide county-to-county health snapshots

People who live in healthier counties tend to have higher education levels, are more likely to be employed, have access to more healthcare providers and have more access to healthier foods, parks and recreational facilities, according to a report on the rank of overall health of every county in the U.S. from the University of Wisconsins Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF).

Around the web

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.

The newly cleared offering, AutoChamber, was designed with opportunistic screening in mind. It can evaluate many different kinds of CT images, including those originally gathered to screen patients for lung cancer. 

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