Public policy and health in the USA: ​​​​​​​affirmative action and racial health justice

Описание: The US Supreme Court will likely outlaw racial considerations in university admissions in spring 2023. How might this affect health and healthcare? It will probably shrink the proportion of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous physicians. But it won't just impact prospective doctors—racially minoritized physicians are more likely to practice in medically underserved regions. The mortality rate of Black newborns is far lower when they're delivered by a Black (vs. White) physician, and Black men are more likely to act on screening recommendations from Black physicians. The benefits of physician racial diversity stand out against the backdrop of large and widening racial health disparities in the US. Black, American Indian, and Alaskan Native people are more likely to die prematurely, including from conditions where medical care makes a difference. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black-White gap in life expectancy widened from 4.0 to 5.8 years, and the gap for Indigenous people increased from 7.0 to 10.3 years. The United States ranks last out of 11 peer countries in access to care, equity, and healthcare outcomes.

During this Lancet Webinar, a panel of experts assess the predicted effects of the Supreme Court decision on racial health disparities as well as racial diversity in the health professions. They explore strategies to improve access to care, equity, and health outcomes in the wake of the court's ruling. Speakers will include a prominent law school Dean, a physician-economist and MacArthur Fellow, and New York City's Chief Medical Officer.

Visit The Lancet at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=yout...

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