3 ways Vanderbilt's radiology department is laying the groundwork to address health disparities
The Department of Radiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center is taking an active role in addressing health equity disparities in their community by developing leadership dedicated to creating departmental initiatives and awareness.
They shared exactly how they achieved this Dec. 18 in the Journal of the American College of Radiology.
"Radiology departments play a critical role in driving the change necessary to achieve health equity," Lucy B. Spalluto, MD, MPH, with the Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and co-authors explained. “Regardless of design, developing a critical mass of institutions with this type of infrastructure will be needed for the field of radiology to improve health equity,”
With the objective of developing strategies to achieve health equity in their community, the department established the Vanderbilt Radiology Health Equity team, which is made up of students, clinical and research faculty, administrators and patients.
This team then developed three core goals to help the radiology department contribute towards a more equitable landscape in healthcare. The goals were as follows:
Increase awareness of health equity principals. This was achieved by calculated programming that included lectures, presentations and “thinking sessions” with community stakeholders of differing backgrounds. The lectures were held annually and included speakers like the Associate Dean for Health Equity and Inclusive Excellence. In addition to the lectures, the group partnered with Vanderbilt Radiology’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion to put on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Week in July 2021.
Generate interest among trainees in health equity. Trainees are offered volunteering opportunities at local free-clinics to gain hands-on experience with the community’s underserved populations. In addition, two-week health equity “mini-electives” are offered to residents. These electives include lectures, case study discussions and panels with community health leaders.
Foster research that addresses disparities. This includes mentorship, pilot funding for research activities specific to disparities and sharing such work at national meetings. The group encouraged the research to be shared with the local community to keep nonmedical populations informed as well.
“Dedicated departmental efforts and resources are one way for radiology to begin to address existing health disparities, achieve more equitable health outcomes, and increase access to high-quality radiologic care,” the authors concluded.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.