Center on Health Equity & Access

An analysis of an interdisciplinary care model for managing chronic kidney disease (CKD) shows hospital admissions dropped by 26% and emergency department (ED) visits decreased by 30% after clinic initiation.

This week, the Center on Health Equity & Access covered artificial intelligence, diabetes clinical trials, racial disparities in cancer antigen thresholds, and more.

Despite widespread concern following the Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision, researchers found no significant changes nationwide in obstetrician and gynecologist (OBGYN) practice locations.

Initiating chronic kidney disease (CKD) screening at age 55 yielded substantial reductions in kidney failure incidence and improvements in life expectancy across all groups.

Health care disparities are often driven by where patients live, explained Antoine Keller, MD, as he discussed the complex, systematic hurdles that influence the health of rural communities.

Experts discuss the metrics used to evaluate continuous glucose monitoring (CGM)'s comprehensive return on investment, including both cost savings and quality measure performance, and identify which patient populations demonstrate the strongest combined benefits in costs, quality measures, and outcomes, along with how these groups are prioritized for CGM access.

Experts discuss the impact of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) implementation on emergency department utilization, hospitalizations, and quality measures including Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS)/Medicare Star ratings, and how CGM adoption has influenced patient encounter patterns, care coordination efficiency, and achievement of quality benchmarks.

Employers have a unique role in helping to close health equity gaps among employees and their families, explained Kimberly Westrich, MA, chief strategy officer at the National Pharmaceutical Council.

Black and American Indian women with ovarian cancer were less likely to have elevated cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) levels at diagnosis, resulting in delayed chemotherapy initiation and highlighting the need for more inclusive guidelines.

As drug denials increase, experts discuss the importance of optimizing data to keep up with these changes and implementing artificial intelligence (AI) to reduce the burden on providers and ensure patient access to care and treatment.

Women living with HIV in Canada were found to have worse wellbeing when they had adversities related to social determinants of health (SDOH).

Missy Hopson, PhD, Ochsner Health, discussed in detail the challenges of strengthening the patient-centered workforce, the power of community reputation for encouraging health care careers, and the influence of empowered workforces on patient outcomes.

Erin Weber, MS, CAQH, is hopeful that artificial intelligence (AI) will empower people rather than replace them.

Marla Black Morgan, MD, with Phoebe Neurology Associates, presented findings on a study into the diagnostic journey of patients with neuromuscular conditions who have rare diseases at the 2025 American Academy of Neurology annual meeting.

A new review finds federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) are underutilized in hypertension and type 2 diabetes clinical research, despite their potential to improve trial diversity.

While findings around hospital and emergency department use were similar at the individual and neighborhood levels, the use of outpatient services differed.

Cathy Eng, MD, FACP, FASCO, participated on the panel discussion, “Health Equity in Cancer Care Delivery,” during the January Institute for Value-Based Medicine® event, “Elevating Value in Cancer Care: Nashville.”

While artificial intelligence (AI) use in health care is currently limited to administrative tasks, Erin Weber, MS, explains that expanding its adoption will require greater collaboration, transparency, and trust among stakeholders.

Interventions that target enhancing health care equity among communities disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic can be improved by including comprehensive needs assessments at the patient, provider, and health system levels.

From the potential impact of tariffs to the World Health Organization's year-long campaign launch focused on improving maternal and newborn health and addressing preventable deaths, here's the latest from the Center on Health Equity & Access.

New study finds adults with stable housing have slightly better blood sugar and blood pressure levels.

Galen Shearn-Nance, BS, and Johnie Rose, MD, PhD, of Case Western Reserve University, acknowledge key limitations of their study and prioritize areas for further research.

Coverage from the Nashville Regional meeting of the Institute for Value-Based Medicine.

No significant differences in treatment or outcomes were found between most Medicare Advantage (MA) and fee-for-service (FFS) beneficiaries with breast cancer, but Black patients with FFS Medicare were less likely to receive standard treatment.