The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the inequality in American health care systems, which consistently neglect the needs of underserved communities, leaving them without access to quality care. A commentary published in Population Health Management highlights the need for a transformational change in our health care systems to advance health equity and address structural racism and health disparities affecting wellbeing. Click here to read the article now.
Coauthors Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, President and CEO of The Joint Commission, and Alonzo Plough, Vice President of Research, Evaluation, and Learning and Chief Science Officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), state: "The key to driving greater health justice is an equity-focused modernized, interconnected data infrastructure that helps us detect, measure, and identify the tools to eliminate our nation's persistent and growing health inequities." They add, "The good news is that the expertise and technologies needed to revamp our health data infrastructure are widely available and, in some cases, already being successfully used to promote health equity."
The authors highlight the recommendations from RWJF's National Commission to Transform Public Health Data Systems, which offer a detailed roadmap for comprehensive data systems reform, including centering health equity and wellbeing in narrative change; prioritizing equitable data governance and community engagement; and ensuring public health measurement addresses structural racism.
"When the Joint Commission speaks, everyone listens! By elevating the need to tackle long standing disparities in care to an official Joint Commission outcome measure, this will help to improve health care and make it far more equitable," says David Nash, MD, MBA, Editor-in-Chief of Population Health Management, and Founding Dean Emeritus and Dr. Raymond C. and Doris N. Grandon Professor, Jefferson College of Population Health, Philadelphia, PA.
About the Journal
Population Health Management is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published bimonthly in print and online that reflects the expanding scope of health care management and quality. The Journal delivers a comprehensive, integrated approach to the field of population health and provides information designed to improve the systems and policies that affect health care quality, access, and outcomes. Comprised of peer-reviewed original research papers, clinical research, and case studies, the content encompasses a broad range of chronic diseases (such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic pain, diabetes, depression, and obesity) in addition to focusing on various aspects of prevention and wellness. Tables of Contents and a sample issue may be viewed on the Population Health Management website. Population Health Management is the official journal of the Population Health Alliance.
About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. is a global media company dedicated to creating, curating, and delivering impactful peer-reviewed research and authoritative content services to advance the fields of biotechnology and the life sciences, specialized clinical medicine, and public health and policy. For complete information, please visit the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website.
