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.
Video interview with Elizabeth Ann Ignacio, MD, FSIR, FACR., chair of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Small and Rural Practices Committee and president of the Hawaii Medical Association, who explains the challenges facing rural healthcare providers and the key reasons for burnout.

Interventional radiologist burnout and retention in rural areas largely related to administrative burdens

"A significant part of burnout stems from the overwhelming administrative burden," explains Elizabeth Ann Ignacio, MD, FSIR, FACR, chair of the SIR Small and Rural Practices Committee.

Video interview with Pedro Martinez Clark, MD, an interventional cardiologist, who explains how he overcame some key health disparities in Miami to make sure minority patients in low-income neighborhoods could receive screenings and care for peripheral artery disease (PAD).

Miami cardiologist works to reach more PAD patients in low-income neighborhoods

Pedro Martinez-Clark, MD, an interventional cardiologist and founder of Amavita Heart and Vascular Health, explains the health disparities he encounters that block the delivery of care in certain parts of Miami.

Pedro Martinez Clark, MD, is helping to addressing health disparities and high PAD and CLI rates in Latin and Haitian communities in Miami.

Addressing high PAD and CLI rates in Latin and Haitian communities of Miami

Pedro Martinez Clark, MD, FSCAI, interventional cardiologist, medical director of Amavita Heart and Vascular Health in Miami, set up community outreach efforts to screen patients in low-income neighborhoods.
 

ACR CEO outlines top trends in breast imaging

Dana Smetherman, MD, is a diagnostic radiologist who specializes in breast imaging. She spoke to Health Imaging about some key issues that have her attention in 2024 and beyond. 

Anne Kroman, DO, PhD, director of lead management and the device clinic, and assistant professor at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), explains more women need to be included in clinical trials to help better understand sex differences in electrophysiology presentations.

Why electrophysiology trials need to include more women

Most EP clinical study data are from men, Anne Kroman, DO, explained in an interview. This is a significant problem, she said, because heart rhythm issues look quite different in women. 

Video interview with Sahil Parikh, MD, FSCAI, director of endovascular services, New York-Presbyterian Columbia University Irving Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at Columbia University, who discusses the disparities in PE treatments in the REAL-PE study

REAL-PE highlights disparities in pulmonary embolism care

Sahil Parikh, MD, director of endovascular services, New York-Presbyterian, explains details from the big-data REAL-PE study comparing mechanical thrombectomy to ultrasound assisted catheter thrombolysis.

Anne Kroman, DO, MUSC, explains efforts to increasing female representation in electrophysiology. #GLOWE #HRS #HRS24 #WomeninEP

Efforts to get more women involved in electrophysiology and why it is important

Anne Kroman, DO, PhD, assistant professor at Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), explains mentoring efforts for women in EP and why it is important for patients to see more female electrophysiologists to help overcome barriers.

Video interview with Jim Melton, DO, vascular surgeon, explains the CLI mortality rate among amputees in rural Oklahoma, and the need for outreach programs to screen more patients.

Death rate from critical limb ischemia is high in rural Oklahoma

In rural Oklahoma, double amputees due to untreated peripheral artery disease face mortality rates around 35% after one year and 60% after two. Jim Melton, DO, hopes his mobile cardiology clinics can make a difference for these patients.