Achieving Greater Health Equity: An Opportunity for Anesthesiology

Authors

Mofya S. Diallo, From the Division of Anesthesiology, Sedation and Perioperative Medicine, Children's National Hospital-George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Jonathan M. Tan, Department of Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, Spatial Sciences Institute at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California.
Eugenie S. Heitmiller, Division of Anesthesiology, Pain and Perioperative Medicine, Children's National Hospital-George Washington University, Washington, DC.
Thomas R. Vetter, Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care, Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

2-2-2022

Journal

Anesthesia and analgesia

DOI

10.1213/ANE.0000000000005937

Abstract

Anesthesiology and anesthesiologists have a tremendous opportunity and responsibility to eliminate health disparities and to achieve health equity. We thus examine health disparity and health equity through the lens of anesthesiology and the perspective of anesthesiologists. In this paper, we define health disparity and health care disparities and provide tangible, representative examples of the latter in the practice of anesthesiology. We define health equity, primarily as the desired antithesis of health disparity. Finally, we propose a framework for anesthesiologists, working toward mitigating health disparity and health care disparities, advancing health equity, and documenting improvements in health care access and health outcomes. This multilevel and interdependent framework includes the perspectives of the patient, clinician, group or department, health care system, and professional societies, including medical journals. We specifically focus on the interrelated roles of social identity and social determinants of health in health outcomes. We explore the foundational role that clinical informatics and valid data collection on race and ethnicity have in achieving health equity. Our ability to ensure patient safety by considering these additional patient-specific factors that affect clinical outcomes throughout the perioperative period could substantially reduce health disparities. Finally, we explore the role of medical journals and their editorial boards in ameliorating health disparities and advancing health equity.

APA Citation

Diallo, Mofya S.; Tan, Jonathan M.; Heitmiller, Eugenie S.; and Vetter, Thomas R., "Achieving Greater Health Equity: An Opportunity for Anesthesiology" (2022). GW Authored Works. Paper 330.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/330

Department

Pediatrics