Health Disparities

Health disparities have the largest impact on the access, quality of care and outcomes overall in many patient populations defined by factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, education level, income, disability, geographic location. Many other factors also play a role, including if a patient is in a rural of urban location, distances to hospitals, pharmacies and clinics. These factors of inequitable access or healthcare are often directly related to the historical and ongoing unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources. This page includes content defining health disparities and efforts to address them.
Video interview with Elizabeth Ann Ignacio, MD, FSIR, FACR., chair of the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) Small and Rural Practices Committee and president of the Hawaii Medical Association, who explains the challenges facing rural healthcare providers and the key reasons for burnout.

Interventional radiologist burnout and retention in rural areas largely related to administrative burdens

"A significant part of burnout stems from the overwhelming administrative burden," explains Elizabeth Ann Ignacio, MD, FSIR, FACR, chair of the SIR Small and Rural Practices Committee.

ACR CEO outlines top trends in breast imaging

Dana Smetherman, MD, is a diagnostic radiologist who specializes in breast imaging. She spoke to Health Imaging about some key issues that have her attention in 2024 and beyond. 

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Radiology services much harder to come by if you’re Black or Latino and living in the US

Relative to other hospitals, those serving racial and ethnic minorities had significantly lower odds of offering 7 of 12 diagnostic radiology exams, new research shows.

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‘Alarming’ study results show uneven distribution of radiologists in 1 state

There is 1 radiologist for every 5,861 residents in the wealthiest counties versus 1 for every 7,861 in the poorest, researchers wrote in Cureus.

Why would an ambitious radiologist choose rural life and practice? 4 reasons

“Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear.”

 Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (USMS), is addressing health inequities in mammography using its Mammovan mobile breast imaging screening program. Gwendolyn Bryant-Smith, MD, explained how the program works. #RSNA #RSNA22

VIDEO: Bringing health equity to mammography and health screenings in Arkansas

Gwendolyn Bryant-Smith, MD, division chief of breast imaging and associate director for diversity, equity and inclusion at the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas, discussed how her center addressed health inequities in mammography.

Patients digging deeper into household budgets for imaging exams that aren’t mammography

Why are patients paying far less out of their pockets for mammography now than two decades ago—while shelling out a lot more for other common imaging exams?

black woman breast cancer pink ribbon

Disparities in breast cancer detection and care persist, despite a drop in mortality, new ACS report reveals

While Black women have lower incidence of breast cancer diagnosis, their mortality rates are 40% higher than those observed in white women.  

Around the web

After reviewing years of data from its clinic, one institution discovered that issues with implant data integrity frequently put patients at risk. 

Prior to the final proposal’s release, the American College of Radiology reached out to CMS to offer its recommendations on payment rates for five out of the six the new codes.

“Before these CPT codes there was no real acknowledgment of the additional burden borne by the providers who accepted these patients."

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