The Drive for Health Equity - The Need to Use Technology to Reduce Healthcare Disparities in Orthopedics

Health and healthcare disparities occur across a range of dimensions—including socioeconomic status, age, geographical location, language, and gender—and are reflected in variable rates of disease, disability, and death, as well as life expectancy. Members of disadvantaged groups are more likely to have poor health status in addition to more limited means and ability to access healthcare services. Within orthopedic care, existing literature has long identified various health and healthcare disparities, including significantly lower rates of total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) among Black and Hispanic patients, as well as higher amputation rates among Black and Mexican American diabetic patients. While such studies have for decades identified the presence and impact of healthcare disparities among minority and disadvantaged populations, action to improve health equity in orthopedics has been scarce. To make meaningful progress on health equity, health systems and Ambulatory Surgery Centers will first need to identify existing barriers to care that impact their own patient populations, particularly as new legislation will require organizations to document how they screen patients for social determinants of health, analyze patient data, and address healthcare disparities. Digital care management, remote monitoring, and messaging platforms can help health systems and ASCs improve the quality, consistency, and availability of the care they deliver. As orthopedic care can potentially improve the health and well-being of so many Americans, it is crucial that we commit to resolving disparities in orthopedic care access, utilization, and outcomes for disadvantaged populations. With greater knowledge of each patient’s challenges, risks, and motivations, providers can more easily address barriers to care and support the best possible outcomes for each and every patient.