Health Disparities

Health disparities have the largest impact on the access, quality of care and outcomes overall in many patient populations defined by factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, education level, income, disability, geographic location. Many other factors also play a role, including if a patient is in a rural of urban location, distances to hospitals, pharmacies and clinics. These factors of inequitable access or healthcare are often directly related to the historical and ongoing unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources. This page includes content defining health disparities and efforts to address them.
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EMS response slower for cardiac arrest in low-income areas

It takes emergency medical services (EMS) almost four minutes longer to transport cardiac arrest patients from poor neighborhoods to the hospital versus those from high-income neighborhoods, according to a study of 2014 United States EMS data published in JAMA Network Open.

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Lower health literacy linked to higher mortality in acute decompensated HF

Poor health literacy could mean an increased risk of death for patients hospitalized with acute decompensated heart failure (ADHF), according to a study published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings Nov. 7.

Edwards Lifesciences' Philanthropy Exceeds Every Heartbeat Matters Goal To Impact One Million Underserved People Ahead Of Schedule

IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 26, 2018 — Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (NYSE: EW), the global leader in patient-focused innovations for structural heart disease and critical care monitoring, announced at a 60th anniversary educational event that the Every Heartbeat Matters initiative has exceeded the goal to impact the global burden of heart valve disease by supporting the education, screening and treatment of one million underserved people by 2020.

Black heart failure patients 42% less likely to receive ICU care from cardiologists

Black Americans admitted to intensive care units (ICUs) with heart failure are 42 percent less likely to receive primary care from a cardiologist, which is associated with better survival odds for all patients.

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How a Chicago health system is tackling racial disparities

To tackle health disparities between Chicago’s West Side and wealthier, predominantly white neighborhoods elsewhere in the city, Rush University Medical Center is leading a group of nine hospitals and health systems to make investments and hire people from disadvantaged communities.

Prediction model underestimates CV risk in disadvantaged neighborhoods

A widely accepted model systematically underpredicts major atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk in disadvantaged communities, according to a new study in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Prison populations more vulnerable to heart conditions

A new study by researchers at Yale and Drexel Universities explores the heart health problems associated with incarceration, in populations including those currently in prison and the released.

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Reducing racial segregation one way to fight hypertension in black adults

Research has linked greater segregation within black communities can lead to higher prevalence of hypertension. A recent study, published online May 15 in JAMA Internal Medicine, examined how changes in exposure to segregation affected high blood pressure.

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