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Setting a national agenda for surgical disparities research: Recommendations from the National Institutes of Health and American College of Surgeons Summit
JAMA Surgery
  • Adil H Haider, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
  • Irene Dankwa-Mullan, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda
  • Allysha C Maragh-Bass, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
  • Maya Torain, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
  • Cheryl K Zogg, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
  • Elizabeth J Lilley, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
  • Lisa M Kodadek, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore
  • Navin R Changoor, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
  • Peter Najjar, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
  • John A Rose Jr, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston
Publication Date
6-1-2016
Document Type
Article
Abstract

Health care disparities (differential access, care, and outcomes owing to factors such as race/ethnicity) are widely established. Compared with other groups, African American individuals have an increased mortality risk across multiple surgical procedures. Gender, sexual orientation, age, and geographic disparities are also well documented. Further research is needed to mitigate these inequities. To do so, the American College of Surgeons and the National Institutes of Health-National Institute of Minority Health and Disparities convened a research summit to develop a national surgical disparities research agenda and funding priorities. Sixty leading researchers and clinicians gathered in May 2015 for a 2-day summit. First, literature on surgical disparities was presented within 5 themes: (1) clinician, (2) patient, (3) systemic/access, (4) clinical quality, and (5) postoperative care and rehabilitation-related factors. These themes were identified via an exhaustive preconference literature review and guided the summit and its interactive consensus-building exercises. After individual thematic presentations, attendees contributed research priorities for each theme. Suggestions were collated, refined, and prioritized during the latter half of the summit. Breakout sessions yielded 3 to 5 top research priorities by theme. Overall priorities, regardless of theme, included improving patient-clinician communication, fostering engagement and community outreach by using technology, improving care at facilities with a higher proportion of minority patients, evaluating the longer-term effect of acute intervention and rehabilitation support, and improving patient centeredness by identifying expectations for recovery. The National Institutes of Health and American College of Surgeons Summit on Surgical Disparities Research succeeded in identifying a comprehensive research agenda. Future research and funding priorities should prioritize patients' care perspectives, workforce diversification and training, and systematic evaluation of health technologies to reduce surgical disparities.

Comments

This work was published before the author joined Aga Khan University

Citation Information
Adil H Haider, Irene Dankwa-Mullan, Allysha C Maragh-Bass, Maya Torain, et al.. "Setting a national agenda for surgical disparities research: Recommendations from the National Institutes of Health and American College of Surgeons Summit" JAMA Surgery Vol. 151 Iss. 6 (2016) p. 554 - 563
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/adil_haider/362/