Elevating Health Disparities Education Among Trainees and Physicians

Abstract

Health disparities disproportionately affect patients in racial and ethnic minority groups, and these disparities are linked to economic, environmental, and social disadvantage. It is widely known that health disparities impact patients with allergic and immunologic conditions, yet universal and comprehensive training in health disparities is lacking. More robust educational opportunities are needed to fully equip trainees with tools to recognize and develop effective strategies to reduce the burden of health disparities. Also, there are no universal standards or requirements for professional medical boards in their respective maintenance of certification programs that will ensure ongoing training for practicing providers that will help them identify and manage individual or societal issues such as social determinants that contribute to health disparities. Further, the long-term impact of systematic discrimination, implicit and overt bias, and medical mistrust among populations most often affected by disparities compounds the complexity of the methods and types of training that is desperately needed to overcome health disparities. We provide a commentary on important topics that should be addressed during allergy and immunology training and beyond. We further highlight strategies and tools that should be used to tackle this important issue affecting millions of patients under our specialty care. It is past time for us to go beyond the bedside and comprehensively integrate health disparities training in our fellowship programs and in our practices.