Dear John,

ICYMI, Zachary Dyer of the University of Massachusetts joined A Healthy Podyssey to discuss his recent paper measuring the enduring imprint of structural racism on American neighborhoods.

Be on the lookout for a new episode to drop tomorrow featuring Joel Weissman of Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Race-Aware Clinical Decision Making

In the October issue of Health Affairs, Tina Hernandez-Boussard and her team of coauthors write a Commentary on ways to promote equity in clinical decision making.

As the authors note, algorithms that guide clinical decision making have historically used race as a proxy for biological differences, leading to treatment patterns that are harmful to minoritized groups. 

Instead of this race-based approach, the authors advocate for a race-aware approach to clinical decision making that considers social factors like structural racism and the social determinants of health.

Hernandez-Boussard and coauthors conclude to achieve equity in clinical decision making and dismantle race-based medicine:

• Trial data should include populations representing diverse racial and ethnic groups
• The focus of precision medicine should expand to account for social and environmental factors
• Guidelines and policies should be designed to enable culturally responsive care

To learn more about this paper, watch a video abstract below featuring one of the authors, Shazia Mehmood Siddique.

Take a moment to look back at other articles featuring author Tina Hernandez-Boussard:

• Opioid Abuse And Poisoning: Trends In Inpatient And Emergency Department Discharges
• The Affordable Care Act Reduces Emergency Department Use By Young Adults: Evidence From Three States

Health Affairs Branded Post:

Centering Diverse Communities In Clinical Trial Research And Engagement

Niesha Foster and Rita Carreon

Sponsored by Pfizer Multicultural Health Equity Collective

The October 2023 issue of Health Affairs focused on Tackling Structural Racism In Health.

We celebrated the issue's release with a captivating conversation among a panel of distinguished authors and experts.

On October 3, we held a virtual forum where the panel presented their work and engaged in discussions on topics including "Politics and the Legacy of Racism," "Use Of Race And Ethnicity Data," "Documenting Racism," and "Responses to Racism."

If you were unable to attend the virtual forum, the entire event was captured for you to explore at your convenience.

Preimplantation Polygenic Risk Score Testing Is Unvalidated And Unregulated

Eli Y. Adashi et al.

The AHEAD Model And The Potential To Advance Equity Through Population-Based Care

Joshua M. Liao et al.