Health disparities have worsened over the last 20 years in the United States, and research has exposed the role of health care systems in contributing to these disparities. Based on race/ethnicity, sex, sexual identity, socioeconomic status, and geography, communities face disproportionately higher disparities in access, diagnosis, and treatment, ultimately resulting in adverse health outcomes. This…
The use of telebehavioral health has increased dramatically as a result of the pandemic with policymakers adjusting regulations to facilitate the delivery of telebehavioral health services. Given the increase in its use, more research is needed to understand the experiences of those receiving, delivering, and supporting telebehavioral health services. This report discusses a study that…
Despite recent research on wellbeing in medicine, much of it fails to address the broader structural factors that contribute to physician satisfaction and wellbeing. To address that gap, researchers used a novel socio-ecological framework adapted from a National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s “systems model,” and conducted interviews with 65 attendings, residents, medical students,…
Medical students played an essential role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the pandemic disproportionately impacted the most vulnerable populations and exacerbated inequality. Medical students should be trained to respond to public health emergencies in ways that promote health equity, but what this training should entail has yet to be…
Primary care providers are less likely to accept Medicaid compared to other kinds of insurance. The medical school a primary care provider chooses to attend has been shown to impact other elements of their practice, but the impact on Medicaid participation is not well understood. This abstract describes a study that analyzed 2016 Medicaid claims…
Demand is rising for direct care workers (including personal care aides, home health aides, and nursing assistants), but recruitment and retention challenges are widespread. While the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly exacerbated these challenges, it has also created a new labor pool of millions of workers who have been displaced from occupations with similar entry-level requirements….
The health workforce is on the front line of the Coronavirus pandemic. There is a critical need to develop effective strategies to assure the availability of a sufficiently sized and well-trained health workforce to care for patients during the pandemic. Strategies must also be considered to replenish workforce supply as health workers fall ill, are…
A diverse oral health workforce is important for providing care to patients of different backgrounds and improving health equity overall. Unfortunately, Blacks and Hispanics are underrepresented in dental education programs and in the larger oral health workforce. This article describes a study that analyzed the demographic data of dental programs and recent graduates and conducted…
Due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic, the American Rescue Plan and the CARES act have provided major increases to healthcare funding. However, planning and accountability are needed to ensure that this new funding is spent responsibly and equitably to address the nations most pressing health needs. This article provides recommendations for organizations to…
Studies have shown that sufficient nurse staffing is essential for the delivery of quality care and safe working conditions that are associated with better patient outcomes. As of 2020, 14 states had legislation to increase nurse staffing in hospitals. The legislation includes 3 main approaches: 1.) mandating minimum nurse staffing ratios in hospitals; 2.) mandating a…
