racial disparities

Why One CEO Thinks Drugs Won’t Be Able to Solve the Obesity Crisis

New research found that there are no racial disparities in weight loss results among patients taking obesity drugs. However, the study found that people of color have less access to services like behavioral care or surgical interventions, which are often needed in order for patients to lose weight and keep it off. To tackle this issue, Enara Health CEO Rami Bailony argued that the U.S. healthcare system must innovate the way it dispenses weight loss drugs, employing a more holistic care approach.

By Katie Adams

Health Tech

LLMs Can Perpetuate Harmful Ideas About Race-Based Medicine, Study Shows

A new study led by Stanford researchers tested four commercially available LLMs and found that they all could potentially cause harm by breeding inaccurate, racist information. For example, all models tried to justify race-based medicine when asked questions about calculating patients’ kidney function and lung capacity — two areas where race-based medicine practices used to be common but have since been scientifically refuted.

By Katie Adams

With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?

Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.

BioPharma, Pharma

Report: Cancer deaths are down but pancreatic cancer is growing, racial disparities persist

Targeted drugs and immunotherapies are among the advances that contribute to declines in incidence and deaths from non-small cell lung cancer, according to the Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer. But the trends are on the rise for some other cancers and racial disparities persist, highlighting the need to better understand these differences.

By Frank Vinluan

Eight examples of humanism in action during COVID-19 and the global racial reckoning

The Gold Corporate Council and nonprofit Arnold P. Gold Foundation share examples of the vast work underway to support compassion and inclusion in healthcare

By The Arnold P. Gold Foundation

Startups, Hospitals, Policy

Providers, payers & startups are all looking for key pieces to solve the maternal care puzzle

America's abysmal record on maternal care outcomes and equity has spurred the rise of startups as well as innovative strategies from providers and payers, each trying to solve a piece of the larger problem. But these entities will also need the help of policymakers to truly improve care in this arena.

By Anuja Vaidya

Daily, Devices & Diagnostics, Policy

Researchers warn of potential disparities from race adjustments used in spirometers

Researchers are investigating whether a built-in race adjustment in spirometers could further exacerbate health disparities caused by the pandemic. The medical device is commonly used to diagnose breathing conditions.

By Elise Reuter

Devices & Diagnostics, Policy, Legal

FDA issues warning on pulse oximeter limitations, but says little about racial disparities

In an alert on Friday, the Food and Drug Administration warmed that pulse oximeters might be inaccurate in some circumstances. The agency listed skin color among other factors that may affect the accuracy of a reading, but didn’t mention research that has demonstrated the devices miss low blood oxygen levels more often in Black patients.

By Elise Reuter

Patient Engagement, Kaiser

Communication, transparency may help close health disparities

What is needed? Better bedside manner, so patients actually trust their doctors. Communication that is easily understood by everyday people. And transparency about what medical care costs, plus a willingness to discuss how price points fit into consumers’ health decisions.

By Shefali Luthra

Daily

Hospice illustrates challenge of changing black Americans’ negative attitudes towards palliative care

Medicare currently requires patients to give up life-sustaining therapies in order to receive hospice benefits. That trade-off strikes some black families as unfair.

By Sarah Varney

Daily

How can healthcare professionals better manage their unconscious racial bias?

It’s too early to know if these new types of trainings that explore unconscious bias are actually having any effect on what goes on in the exam room.

By April Dembosky, KQED

Health Services

Maximize Revenue and Patient Care with Strategic Weight Loss Management

We will highlight Build My Health's revenue practice management tools, which could help physician practices add up to $250,000 to their practices.

By Build My Health and MedCity News