Health equity
-
Big data is both a product and a function of technology and the ever-growing analytic and computational power. The potential impact of big data in health care innovation cannot be ignored. ⋯ Although big data analytics, properly applied, hold great potential to target inequities and reduce disparities, we believe that the realization of this potential requires us to explicitly address concerns of fairness, equity, and transparency in the development of big data tools. To mitigate potential sources of bias and inequity in algorithmic decision-making, a multipronged and interdisciplinary approach is required, combining insights from data scientists and domain experts to design algorithmic decision-making approaches that explicitly account and correct for these issues.
-
Incarcerated people are one of the most vulnerable populations during the coronavirus pandemic. There are varying perspectives regarding how to address the health care barriers seen in this population. Some individuals and organizations advocate for a mandatory release of the incarcerated who are not deemed a risk to the general population, whereas others advocate for improving health care in jails and prisons. This article highlights the importance of addressing access to care issues, overcrowding, societal implications, and access to hygienics for the incarcerated during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, and solutions forward.
-
COVID-19 has created a rapidly evolving public health crisis disproportionately impacting African Americans due to persistent inequities. The changing COVID-19 guidelines have resulted in concerns expressed by the American public, including unique concerns expressed by African Americans. To increase COVID-19-related awareness and dialogue among the African American community, the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health and the Housing Association of the Birmingham District convened a virtual town hall. This process of stakeholder engagement underscored the importance of cross-disciplinary expertise and collaboration and of community education and outreach by trusted sources.
-
Purpose: African Americans with life-limiting illnesses experience significant health inequities. Lay health workers (LHWs) may help overcome existing challenges of communicating with African Americans about advance care planning (ACP) and end-of-life decision-making. Church-based LHWs have some advantages over other LHWs but no curriculum exists to fully prepare them. ⋯ Conclusions: LHWs may improve quality of care and thus reduce health inequities at the end-of-life. Preparing LHWs for conversations about ACP is necessary but insufficient. This curriculum also prepares LHWs to attend to the spiritual needs of clients and to support clients with their other needs as their illness progresses.
-
Purpose: To explore the experiences of living with painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN) and with a group acupuncture intervention in a sample of low-income, diverse patients. Methods: We conducted a randomized clinical trial of a 12-week group acupuncture intervention for PDN. Data included validated measures of patient-reported outcomes, including pain and quality of life (QOL), as well as semistructured qualitative interviews about participants' experiences with PDN and the intervention. ⋯ They noted that the acupuncture intervention also gave them hope in the face of their chronic disease. Conclusion: Acupuncture is a valuable adjunct treatment for low-income and marginalized populations with PDN. In addition to reducing pain and improving QOL, acupuncture may offer powerful benefits by increasing patient activation and hope.