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Zemouri C, Nait Kassi A, Arrazola de Oñate W, Çoban G, Kissi A. Exploring discrimination and racism in healthcare: a qualitative phenomenology study of Dutch persons with migration backgrounds. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e082481. [PMID: 38834316 PMCID: PMC11163629 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore and characterise the discrimination and racism experienced in healthcare from the perspective of Dutch patients with a migration background. DESIGN This was a qualitative phenomenological study incorporating an inductive thematic analysis of the answers provided to a free form online survey. Descriptive and differential analyses were conducted for the closed-ended questions. SETTING This study used an online survey distributed in Dutch about experiences of discrimination and racism in healthcare to the general population in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS The survey was completed by 188 participants (Mage=39.89, SDage=10.2). Of whom 80 (Mage=37.92, SDage=10.87) met the eligibility criteria for thematic analysis (ie, has a migration background or a relative with a migration background and experienced discrimination in healthcare based on their background) and were thus included in the analysis. RESULTS From the total sample, women, relative to men, were 2.31 times more likely to report experiencing healthcare discrimination (OR=2.31; 95% CI 1.23 to 4.37). The majority of the participants (60.1%) had a Moroccan or Turkish background. Six themes were identified relating to experienced discrimination in healthcare based on one's migration background: (1) explicit discrimination, (2) prejudice, (3) not being taken seriously, (4) discriminatory behaviour, (5) language barriers and (6) pain attribution to cultural background. Some participants reported that their attire or religion was linked to their migration background, thus contributing to their experiences of discrimination. CONCLUSION Dutch patients with a migration background may experience discrimination based on their ethnic identity or other factors related to their backgrounds, such as their faith, culture and skin colour. Discrimination manifests as intersectional and may take different forms (eg, discrimination based on the intersection between race and gender). Therefore, healthcare discrimination may increase health inequities and lead to unequal access to healthcare services. Implicitly or explicitly discriminating against patients is immoral, unethical, illegal and hazardous for individual and public health. Further research on the magnitude of discrimination in healthcare and its relation to health is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Ama Kissi
- Department of Experimental-Clinical and Health Psychology, Universiteit Gent, Gent, Belgium
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Rabay CJ, Lopez C, Streuli S, Mayes EC, Rajagopalan RM, Non AL. Clinicians' perspectives on race-specific guidelines for hypertensive treatment. Soc Sci Med 2024; 351:116938. [PMID: 38735272 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.116938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/30/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024]
Abstract
Despite the general consensus that there is no biological basis to race, racial categorization is still used by clinicians to guide diagnosis and treatment plans for certain diseases. In medicine, race is commonly used as a rough proxy for unmeasured social, environmental, and genetic factors. The American College of Cardiology's Eighth Joint National Committee's (JNC 8) guidelines for the treatment of hypertension provide race-specific medication recommendations for Black versus non-Black patients, without strong evidence for race-specific physiological differences in drug response. Clinicians practicing family or geriatric medicine (n = 21) were shown a video of a mock hypertensive patient with genetic ancestry test results that could be viewed as discordant with their phenotype and self-identified race. After viewing the videos, we conducted in-depth interviews to examine how clinicians value and prioritize different cues about race -- namely genetic ancestry data, phenotypic appearance, and self-identified racial classifications - when making treatment decisions in the context of race-specific guidelines, particularly in situations when patients claim mixed-race or complex racial identities. Results indicate that clinicians inconsistently follow the race-specific guidelines for patients whose genetic ancestry test results do not match neatly with their self-identified race or phenotypic features. However, many clinicians also emphasized the importance of clinical experience, side effects, and other factors in their decision making. Clinicians' definitions of race, categorization of the patient's race, and prioritization of racial cues greatly varied. The existence of the race-specific guidelines clearly influences treatment decisions, even as clinicians' express uncertainty about how to incorporate consideration of a patient's genetic ancestry. In light of widespread debate about removal of race from medical diagnostics, researchers should revisit the clinical justification for maintaining these race-specific guidelines. Based on our findings and prior studies indicating a lack of convincing evidence for biological differences by race in medication response, we suggest removing race from the JNC 8 guidelines to avoid risk of perpetuating or exacerbating health disparities in hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantal J Rabay
- Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Carolina Lopez
- Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Samantha Streuli
- Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; National Environmental Health Association, 720 S. Colorado Blvd. Suite 105A, Denver, CO, 80246-1910, USA
| | - E Carolina Mayes
- Department of Sociology, University of California, San Diego. 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Department of Science, Technology and Innovation Studies, School of Social and Political Science, University of Edinburgh. 2.05 Old Surgeons' Hall, High School Yards, Edinburgh, EH1 1LZ, GB, UK
| | - Ramya M Rajagopalan
- Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Center for Empathy and Technology, Sanford Institute for Empathy and Compassion, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - Amy L Non
- Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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Hoverd E, Effiom V, Gravesande D, Hollowood L, Kelly T, Mukuka E, Owatemi T, Sargeant I, Ward S, Spencer R, Edge D, Dale J, Staniszewska S. Understanding the inclusion and participation of adults from Black African Diaspora Communities (BAFDC) in health and care research in the UK: a realist review protocol. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e082564. [PMID: 38553075 PMCID: PMC10982753 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION People from Black African Diaspora Communities (BAFDC) experience poorer health outcomes, have many long-term conditions and are persistently under-represented in health and care research. There is limited focus on programmes, or interventions that support inclusion and participation of people from BAFDC in research. Through coproduction, this realist review seeks to provide a programme theory explaining what context and mechanisms may be required, to produce outcomes that facilitate inclusion and participation for people from BAFDC in health and care research, in the UK. METHODS AND ANALYSIS A group of people from BAFDC with lived and professional experience, representing all levels of the health and care research system, will coproduce a realist review with a team of African-Caribbean, white British and white British of Polish origin health and care researchers. They will follow Pawson's five steps: (1) shaping the scope of the review; (2) searching for evidence; (3) document selection and appraisal; (4) data extraction and (5) data synthesis. The coproduction group will help to map the current landscape, identifying key issues that may inhibit or facilitate inclusion. Data will be extracted, analysed and synthesised following realist logic analysis, identifying and explaining how context and mechanisms are conceptualised in the literature and the types of contextual factors that exist and impact on inclusion and participation. Findings will be reported in accordance with Realist and Meta-narrative Evidence Synthesis Evolving Standards . ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The coproduction group will agree an ethical approach considering accountability, responsibility and power dynamics, by establishing a terms of reference, taking a reflexive approach and coproducing an ethical framework. Findings will be disseminated to BAFDC and the research community through arts-based methods, peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations, agreeing a coproduced strategy for dissemination. Ethical review is not required. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42024517124.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor Hoverd
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Violet Effiom
- NIHR Clinical Research Network West Midlands, Coventry, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Rachel Spencer
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Dawn Edge
- University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Jeremy Dale
- Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
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4
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Olsen E, George M, Rollin FG. Comment on Genetic Ancestry-Specific Molecular and Survival Differences in Admixed Breast Cancer Patients. ANNALS OF SURGERY OPEN 2024; 5:e394. [PMID: 38883959 PMCID: PMC11175894 DOI: 10.1097/as9.0000000000000394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eudora Olsen
- From the Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Maura George
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Francois G Rollin
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
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5
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Ben-Shlomo Y, Darweesh S, Llibre-Guerra J, Marras C, San Luciano M, Tanner C. The epidemiology of Parkinson's disease. Lancet 2024; 403:283-292. [PMID: 38245248 PMCID: PMC11123577 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(23)01419-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
The epidemiology of Parkinson's disease shows marked variations in time, geography, ethnicity, age, and sex. Internationally, prevalence has increased over and above demographic changes. There are several potential reasons for this increase, including the decline in other competing causes of death. Whether incidence is increasing, especially in women or in many low-income and middle-income countries where there is a shortage of high-quality data, is less certain. Parkinson's disease is more common in older people and men, and a variety of environmental factors have been suggested to explain why, including exposure to neurotoxic agents. Within countries, there appear to be ethnic differences in disease risk, although these differences might reflect differential access to health care. The cause of Parkinson's disease is multifactorial, and involves genetic and environmental factors. Both risk factors (eg, pesticides) and protective factors (eg, physical activity and tendency to smoke) have been postulated to have a role in Parkinson's disease, although elucidating causality is complicated by the long prodromal period. Following the establishment of public health strategies to prevent cardiovascular diseases and some cancers, chronic neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and dementia are gaining a deserved higher priority. Multipronged prevention strategies are required that tackle population-based primary prevention, high-risk targeted secondary prevention, and Parkinson's disease-modifying therapies for tertiary prevention. Future international collaborations will be required to triangulate evidence from basic, applied, and epidemiological research, thereby enhancing the understanding and prevention of Parkinson's disease at a global level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoav Ben-Shlomo
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Sirwan Darweesh
- Centre of Expertise for Parkinson and Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Connie Marras
- The Edmond J Safra Program in Parkinson's Disease, Toronto Western Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Marta San Luciano
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Caroline Tanner
- Weill Institute for Neurosciences, Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Non AL, Cerdeña JP. Considerations, Caveats, and Suggestions for the Use of Polygenic Scores for Social and Behavioral Traits. Behav Genet 2024; 54:34-41. [PMID: 37801150 PMCID: PMC10822803 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-023-10162-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Polygenic scores (PGS) are increasingly being used for prediction of social and behavioral traits, but suffer from many methodological, theoretical, and ethical concerns that profoundly limit their value. Primarily, these scores are derived from statistical correlations, carrying no inherent biological meaning, and thus may capture indirect effects. Further, the performance of these scores depends upon the diversity of the reference populations and the genomic panels from which they were derived, which consistently underrepresent minoritized populations, leading to poor fit when applied to diverse groups. There is also inherent danger of eugenic applications for the information gained from these scores, and general risk of misunderstandings that could lead to stigmatization for underrepresented groups. We urge extreme caution in use of PGS particularly for social/behavioral outcomes fraught for misinterpretation, with potential harm for the minoritized groups least likely to benefit from their use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Non
- Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | - Jessica P Cerdeña
- Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy (InCHIP), University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
- Department of Family Medicine, Middlesex Health, Middletown, CT, USA
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Non AL, Bailey B, Bhatt SP, Casaburi R, Regan EA, Wang A, Limon A, Rabay C, Diaz AA, Baldomero AK, Kinney G, Young KA, Felts B, Hand C, Conrad DJ. Race-Specific Spirometry Equations Do Not Improve Models of Dyspnea and Quantitative Chest CT Phenotypes. Chest 2023; 164:1492-1504. [PMID: 37507005 PMCID: PMC10925545 DOI: 10.1016/j.chest.2023.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Race-specific spirometry reference equations are used globally to interpret lung function for clinical, research, and occupational purposes, but inclusion of race is under scrutiny. RESEARCH QUESTION Does including self-identified race in spirometry reference equation formation improve the ability of predicted FEV1 values to explain quantitative chest CT abnormalities, dyspnea, or Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) classification? STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS Using data from healthy adults who have never smoked in both the National Health and Nutrition Survey (2007-2012) and COPDGene study cohorts, race-neutral, race-free, and race-specific prediction equations were generated for FEV1. Using sensitivity/specificity, multivariable logistic regression, and random forest models, these equations were applied in a cross-sectional analysis to populations of individuals who currently smoke and individuals who formerly smoked to determine how they affected GOLD classification and the fit of models predicting quantitative chest CT phenotypes or dyspnea. RESULTS Race-specific equations showed no advantage relative to race-neutral or race-free equations in models of quantitative chest CT phenotypes or dyspnea. Race-neutral reference equations reclassified up to 19% of Black participants into more severe GOLD classes, while race-neutral/race-free equations may improve model fit for dyspnea symptoms relative to race-specific equations. INTERPRETATION Race-specific equations offered no advantage over race-neutral/race-free equations in three distinct explanatory models of dyspnea and chest CT scan abnormalities. Race-neutral/race-free reference equations may improve pulmonary disease diagnoses and treatment in populations highly vulnerable to lung disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy L Non
- Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Barbara Bailey
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Surya P Bhatt
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
| | - Richard Casaburi
- Rehabilitation Clinical Trials Center, Lundquist Institute for Biomedical Innovation at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA
| | - Elizabeth A Regan
- Division of Rheumatology and Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
| | - Angela Wang
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | | | - Chantal Rabay
- Department of Anthropology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Alejandro A Diaz
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
| | - Arianne K Baldomero
- Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Section, Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Minneapolis, MN
| | - Greg Kinney
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Kendra A Young
- Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO
| | - Ben Felts
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - Carol Hand
- Advanced Mathematical Computing, San Diego, CA
| | - Douglas J Conrad
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA.
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8
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Hendricks M, Cois A, Geel J, van Heerden J, Dandara C, Mohamed K, Donald KA, Kruger M. Socioeconomic status significantly impacts childhood cancer survival in South Africa. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2023; 70:e30669. [PMID: 37705154 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.30669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Significantly discrepant survival rates have been documented in single disease childhood cancer cohorts in South Africa; those from higher socioeconomic groups were shown to have a significantly lower risk of death than those from less affluent households. This study aimed to determine the impact of socioeconomic status (SES) on childhood cancer survival using pooled South African data. METHODS Five databases spanning January 2000 to December 2021 were interrogated. SES status was assigned based on a public sector annual household income classification. H0 households (formally unemployed) received free healthcare. H1, H2 and H3 (annual income > United States Dollar [USD] 19,000) households paid for healthcare relative to their income. The Spearman test assessed correlations between SES and disease stage in patients with solid tumours. Hazard ratios were determined using Cox regression modelling. The Kaplan-Meier procedure estimated overall survival (OS). RESULTS A total of 1598 children were eligible for analysis; 1269 had a solid tumour with a negative correlation between SES and stage (Spearman rho = -.178; p < .001). Patients with solid tumours and lower SES showed proportionately higher numbers of stage III and IV disease (p < .01). This proportion decreased with higher SES categories. In the multivariate analyses adjusted for sex, age, tumour type and stage, higher SES was associated with lower mortality risk (p < .001), indicating that the impact of SES on survival was in excess of any effect that could be explained by lower stage disease alone. There was a strong positive correlation between race and SES (Fisher's exact tests, p < .001) across all groups and all SES strata. Five-year OS was 85.3% in children from H3 households versus 46.3% in children from H0 households (p < .001). CONCLUSION SES significantly impacts childhood cancer survival for children with solid tumours in South Africa. SES is a robust surrogate for race in South Africa as a prognostic metric of disease outcome in childhood cancer. Advocacy to increase social support for impoverished patients is essential to achieve equitable improvements in outcomes treated with standardised national treatment guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Hendricks
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Haematology Oncology Service, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Annibale Cois
- Department of Global Health, Division of Health Systems and Public Health, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health and Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jennifer Geel
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Division of Paediatric Haematology Oncology, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jaques van Heerden
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Paediatric Haematology Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Paediatric Haematology and Oncology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp University Hospital, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Collet Dandara
- University of Cape Town/South African Medical Research Council Platform for Pharmacogenomics Research and Translation, South African Medical Research Council, Cape Town, South Africa
- Department of Pathology & The Institute of Infectious Diseases and Molecular Medicine, Division of Human Genetics, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kharnita Mohamed
- Department of Anthropology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kirsten A Donald
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
- The Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Mariana Kruger
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Paediatric Haematology Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Stellenbosch, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa
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Rollin F, Miller A, Galloway A. Racial differences in biomarkers should point towards structural, not genetic, determinants. Am J Prev Cardiol 2023; 16:100593. [PMID: 37808007 PMCID: PMC10558585 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajpc.2023.100593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Francois Rollin
- Department of Medicine, Faculty Office Building, Emory University School of Medicine, #496, 69 Jesse Hill Jr Drive, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Amy Miller
- Department of Medicine, Faculty Office Building, Emory University School of Medicine, #496, 69 Jesse Hill Jr Drive, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Alex Galloway
- Department of Medicine, Faculty Office Building, Emory University School of Medicine, #496, 69 Jesse Hill Jr Drive, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Arora A, Alderman JE, Palmer J, Ganapathi S, Laws E, McCradden MD, Oakden-Rayner L, Pfohl SR, Ghassemi M, McKay F, Treanor D, Rostamzadeh N, Mateen B, Gath J, Adebajo AO, Kuku S, Matin R, Heller K, Sapey E, Sebire NJ, Cole-Lewis H, Calvert M, Denniston A, Liu X. The value of standards for health datasets in artificial intelligence-based applications. Nat Med 2023; 29:2929-2938. [PMID: 37884627 PMCID: PMC10667100 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02608-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Artificial intelligence as a medical device is increasingly being applied to healthcare for diagnosis, risk stratification and resource allocation. However, a growing body of evidence has highlighted the risk of algorithmic bias, which may perpetuate existing health inequity. This problem arises in part because of systemic inequalities in dataset curation, unequal opportunity to participate in research and inequalities of access. This study aims to explore existing standards, frameworks and best practices for ensuring adequate data diversity in health datasets. Exploring the body of existing literature and expert views is an important step towards the development of consensus-based guidelines. The study comprises two parts: a systematic review of existing standards, frameworks and best practices for healthcare datasets; and a survey and thematic analysis of stakeholder views of bias, health equity and best practices for artificial intelligence as a medical device. We found that the need for dataset diversity was well described in literature, and experts generally favored the development of a robust set of guidelines, but there were mixed views about how these could be implemented practically. The outputs of this study will be used to inform the development of standards for transparency of data diversity in health datasets (the STANDING Together initiative).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anmol Arora
- School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Joseph E Alderman
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Joanne Palmer
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Elinor Laws
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Melissa D McCradden
- Department of Bioethics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Genetics and Genome Biology, Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren Oakden-Rayner
- The Australian Institute for Machine Learning, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | | | - Marzyeh Ghassemi
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Medical Engineering & Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Vector Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Francis McKay
- The Ethox Centre and the Wellcome Centre for Ethics and Humanities, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Darren Treanor
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds, UK
- University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- Department of Clinical Pathology and Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
- Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | | | - Bilal Mateen
- Institute for Health Informatics, University College London, London, UK
- Wellcome Trust, London, UK
| | - Jacqui Gath
- Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Group, STANDING Together, Birmingham, UK
| | - Adewole O Adebajo
- Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement (PPIE) Group, STANDING Together, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Rubeta Matin
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Elizabeth Sapey
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- PIONEER, HDR UK Hub in Acute Care, Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Neil J Sebire
- National Institute for Health and Care Research, Great Ormond Street Hospital Biomedical Research Centre, London, UK
- Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University Hospital London, London, UK
| | | | - Melanie Calvert
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Birmingham Health Partners Centre for Regulatory Science and Innovation, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Centre for Patient Reported Outcomes Research, Institute of Applied Health Research, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Applied Research Collaboration West Midlands, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham-Oxford Blood and Transplant Research Unit in Precision Transplant and Cellular Therapeutics, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- DEMAND Hub, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- UK SPINE, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Alastair Denniston
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Birmingham Health Partners Centre for Regulatory Science and Innovation, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Biomedical Research Centre, Moorfields Eye Hospital/University College London, London, UK
| | - Xiaoxuan Liu
- Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, College of Medical and Dental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
- University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Birmingham Biomedical Research Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
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Mabeza RM, Legha RK. Reimagining Medical Education Toward Antiracist Praxis. Health Equity 2023; 7:598-602. [PMID: 37731791 PMCID: PMC10507935 DOI: 10.1089/heq.2023.0135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Medicine has a longstanding history of racism that promulgates existing health inequities. Current medical education, largely based on the biomedical framework, omits critical discourse on racism and White supremacy, which continue to harm individuals and communities of color. Such ahistorical and apolitical orientation inadequately trains learners to identify and address racism in clinical practice. Although curricula on racial health disparities, social determinants of health, cultural competency, and implicit bias have been operationalized by several medical schools, they do not identify the racism embedded in systems of care, nor do they provide transformative steps toward true health equity and justice. As such, this article proposes bold radical frameworks as the foundation for reimagining medical education in the United States. Founded on critical race theory, abolition, and decolonization, the authors provide a view of an antiracist medical education, one that highlights the history and legacy of racism in medicine and positions medical trainees and practicing physicians as active agents in medicine's antiracist transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russyan Mark Mabeza
- Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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Rollin FG, Krishnamurthy S, Beriwal S. Commentary: Genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic signatures of prostate cancer between African American and European American patients. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1218669. [PMID: 37675223 PMCID: PMC10479941 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1218669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Francois G. Rollin
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | | | - Surabhi Beriwal
- Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Durand CM, Martinez N, Neumann K, Benedict RC, Baker AW, Wolfe CR, Stosor V, Shetty A, Dietch ZC, Goudy L, Callegari MA, Massie AB, Brown D, Cochran W, Muzaale A, Fine D, Tobian AA, Winkler CA, Al Ammary F, Segev DL. Living kidney donors with HIV: experience and outcomes from a case series by the HOPE in Action Consortium. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2023; 24:100553. [PMID: 37600163 PMCID: PMC10435840 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2023.100553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Background Living kidney donation is possible for people living with HIV (PLWH) in the United States within research studies under the HIV Organ Policy Equity (HOPE) Act. There are concerns that donor nephrectomy may have an increased risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in PLWH due to HIV-associated kidney disease and antiretroviral therapy (ART) nephrotoxicity. Here we report the first 3 cases of living kidney donors with HIV under the HOPE Act in the United States. Methods Within the HOPE in Action Multicenter Consortium, we conducted a prospective study of living kidney donors with HIV. Pre-donation, we estimated the 9-year cumulative incidence of ESRD, performed genetic testing of apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1), excluding individuals with high-risk variants, and performed pre-donation kidney biopsies (HOPE Act requirement). The primary endpoint was ≥grade 3 nephrectomy-related adverse events (AEs) in year one. Post-donation, we monitored glomerular filtration rate (measured by iohexol/Tc-99m DTPA [mGFR] or estimated with serum creatinine [eGFR]), HIV RNA, CD4 count, and ART. Findings There were three donors with two-four years of follow-up: a 35 year-old female, a 52 year-old male, and a 47 year-old male. Pre-donation 9-year estimated cumulative incidence of ESRD was 3.01, 8.01, and 7.76 per 10,000 persons, respectively. In two donors with APOL1 testing, no high-risk variants were detected. Biopsies from all three donors showed no kidney disease. Post-donation, two donors developed nephrectomy-related ≥grade 3 AEs: a medically-managed ileus and a laparoscopically-repaired incisional hernia. GFR declined from 103 to 84 mL/min/1.73 m2 at four years (mGFR) in donor 1, from 77 to 52 mL/min/1.73 m2 at three years (eGFR) in donor 2, and from 65 to 39 mL/min/1.73 m2 at two years (eGFR) in donor 3. HIV RNA remained <20 copies/mL and CD4 count remained stable in all donors. Interpretation The first three living kidney donors with HIV under the HOPE Act in the United States have had promising outcomes at two-four years, providing proof-of-concept to support living donation from PLWH to recipients with HIV. Funding National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M. Durand
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Arthur W. Baker
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Cameron R. Wolfe
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Valentina Stosor
- Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Organ Transplantation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Aneesha Shetty
- Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Organ Transplantation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Zachary C. Dietch
- Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Organ Transplantation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Leah Goudy
- Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Organ Transplantation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Michelle A. Callegari
- Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Organ Transplantation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Allan B. Massie
- Department of Surgery, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Diane Brown
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Willa Cochran
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Abimereki Muzaale
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Derek Fine
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Aaron A.R. Tobian
- Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Cheryl A. Winkler
- Cancer Innovation Laboratory, Center for Cancer Research, NCI and Basic Research Program, Frederick National Laboratories for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA
| | - Fawaz Al Ammary
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Dorry L. Segev
- Department of Surgery, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Chotirmall SH, Dhar R, McShane PJ, Chang AB. Bronchiectasis: a global disease necessitating global solutions. THE LANCET. RESPIRATORY MEDICINE 2023; 11:581-583. [PMID: 37105207 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-2600(23)00136-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay H Chotirmall
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 308232 Singapore; Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
| | - Raja Dhar
- Department of Pulmonology, CMRI Hospital, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
| | - P J McShane
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Texas at Tyler, Tyler, TX, USA
| | - Anne B Chang
- Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Dept of Respiratory and Sleep Medicine, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Child Health Division, Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, NT, Australia
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Ivey Henry P, Spence Beaulieu MR, Bradford A, Graves JL. Embedded racism: Inequitable niche construction as a neglected evolutionary process affecting health. Evol Med Public Health 2023; 11:112-125. [PMID: 37197590 PMCID: PMC10184440 DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoad007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Racial health disparities are a pervasive feature of modern experience and structural racism is increasingly recognized as a public health crisis. Yet evolutionary medicine has not adequately addressed the racialization of health and disease, particularly the systematic embedding of social biases in biological processes leading to disparate health outcomes delineated by socially defined race. In contrast to the sheer dominance of medical publications which still assume genetic 'race' and omit mention of its social construction, we present an alternative biological framework of racialized health. We explore the unifying evolutionary-ecological principle of niche construction as it offers critical insights on internal and external biological and behavioral feedback processes environments at every level of the organization. We Integrate insights of niche construction theory in the context of human evolutionary and social history and phenotype-genotype modification, exposing the extent to which racism is an evolutionary mismatch underlying inequitable disparities in disease. We then apply ecological models of niche exclusion and exploitation to institutional and interpersonal racial constructions of population and individual health and demonstrate how discriminatory processes of health and harm apply to evolutionarily relevant disease classes and life-history processes in which socially defined race is poorly understood and evaluated. Ultimately, we call for evolutionary and biomedical scholars to recognize the salience of racism as a pathogenic process biasing health outcomes studied across disciplines and to redress the neglect of focus on research and application related to this crucial issue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Ivey Henry
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Angelle Bradford
- Department of Physiology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
| | - Joseph L Graves
- Department of Biology, North Carolina A&T State University, Greensboro, NC, USA
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Mohottige D, Purnell TS, Boulware LE. Redressing the Harms of Race-Based Kidney Function Estimation. JAMA 2023; 329:881-882. [PMID: 36848168 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.2154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
This Viewpoint emphasizes the urgency of abolishing race-based medical practices and explains how they have unjustly contributed to racial inequities in clinical care and health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinushika Mohottige
- Institute for Health Equity Research, Department of Population Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
- Barbara T. Murphy Division of Nephrology, and Division of Data-Driven and Digital Medicine (D3M), Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Tanjala S Purnell
- Department of Epidemiology, Department of Health Policy and Management, and Department of Health Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
- Department of Surgery, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - L Ebony Boulware
- Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
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