Giuliana Grossi

This week’s Center on Health Equity & Access highlights emphasize the role of social determinants of health in policy-making and underscore the importance of addressing rising costs and challenges employers face.

As health care costs escalate, a new survey reveals that 74% of employers are grappling with the impact on employee wages and benefits, with many anticipating further cost-shifting to their workforce.

Patients with transfusion-dependent β-thalassemia experienced 14.8 hospitalizations annually, according to the findings.

The machine learning model shows promise in detecting paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) by assessing electronic health records (EHR) data, potentially transforming the diagnostic landscape for rare diseases.

Prompt care supports mental well-being, as hidradenitis suppurativa is often associated with depression and anxiety due to its physical and social challenges.

Cost avoidance varied by clinical setting, with the largest savings occurring in hematology clinics ($73,773), followed by rheumatology ($45,330) and pediatric gastrointestinal/irritable bowel syndrome ($16,519).

The Center on Health Equity & Access focuses on addressing disparities in health care access, exploring innovative solutions, policies, and research to improve health equity across diverse populations.

The Dobbs decision was associated with a 7% absolute increase in overall infant mortality—equivalent to 247 excess deaths—and a 10% increase among infants with congenital anomalies, corresponding to 204 additional deaths.

Etonogestrel-releasing contraceptive implants in women with sickle cell disease significantly reduced pain intensity and frequency of pain crises over 12 months, with no adverse changes in metabolic or liver function markers.

While some adversities, like peer aggression, lead to worsening mental health, others, such as community threat, may result in adaptive suppression of symptoms.

Medicaid, Medicare, and private insurance programs all showed significant variability in expenditures based on social and nonclinical factors.

The Center on Health Equity & Access focuses on addressing disparities in health care access, exploring innovative solutions, policies, and research to improve health equity across diverse populations.

New findings show that undocumented Latinx immigrants, who make up 7% of the US population, face significant challenges in accessing health care due to uninsurance, limited access to care, language barriers, and fears surrounding their immigration status.

Despite advancements in umbilical cord blood transplants, social determinants of health, such as poverty and public insurance, continue to impact outcomes, underscoring the need for equitable access to lifesaving treatments.

At CHEST 2024, Cesar Davila-Chapa, MD, University of Nebraska Medical Center, brings awareness to the racial disparities demonstrated in his investigation of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) hospitalizations and outcomes.

The progress made to mitigate the opioid use crisis still pales in comparison with the crucial effort needed to address it, especially in regard to accessing medication.

One of the key highlights was the discussion of Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams (PERT), addressing controversies in PE management and focusing on personalized, patient-centered care.

During CHEST 2024, Maxine Dexter, MD, Kaiser Permanente, discussed her belief in the vital role of physicians in public health advocacy, drawing from her legislative work on issues as a former Oregon State Representative.

CHEST 2024 late-breaking data showcased the potential of AI-based systems in diagnosing and managing pulmonary embolism.

According to KFF’s annual Employer Health Benefits Survey, the average premium for family coverage now stands at $25,572, with workers contributing an average of $6296 annually.

Research from the Heart Failure Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting evaluated remote physiological monitoring for treating systolic heart failure (HF), as well as the impact of a heart transplant allocation system on urban and rural communities.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) presents a significant challenge for both patients and health care providers and discussions of effective management strategies took center stage at CHEST 2024 in Boston.

Hope is on the horizon for patients living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). CHEST 2024 in Boston featured a session highlighting emerging bronchoscopic therapies.

New data presented at CHEST 2024 in Boston revealed a significant link between obstructive sleep apnea and mental health disorders in middle-aged and older adults.

Krunal Patel, MD, Temple University Hospital, highlights CHEST 2024 data revealing why timing matters with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) intervention.

One of the first sessions to kick off CHEST 2024 in Boston looked at the future of physician compensation, which highlighted the consolidation of physician practices, unionization, the role of coding and fee-for-service payment, and the impacts of facility reimbursement, inflation, and market conditions.

In this interview, Juan Carlos Martinez, MD, explains that while patients recognize the severity of lung cancer, there is a lack of knowledge about lung cancer screening methods, likely due to barriers such as language, education, and health care access.

The Center on Health Equity & Access is dedicated to reducing health care disparities by exploring innovative solutions, policies, and research that advance health equity for diverse populations.

The extent to which certified community behavioral health clinic expansion reaches different parts of the country remained unclear until this study, which measured the proportion of US counties and populations within the service areas.

Parth Rali, MD, Temple University Hospital, is looking forward to approaching pulmonary vascular diseases as a spectrum, especially when assessing pulmonary embolism and pulmonary hypertension, at CHEST 2024.