CommonHealth ACTION’s Post

Now we know our assignment: move from health disparities to health inequities to health *equity* for people with disabilities. The Minnesota Medical Association explains that this word choice puts the focus on fixing systems, not people: "Health inequities are health differences that are avoidable, unnecessary, unfair, and unjust. In contrast with health disparities, this term calls for consideration of the root causes of health disparities, such as the social, economic, and environmental disadvantages experienced by certain groups of people. Health differences are called health disparities. Health disparities that are avoidable and unjust are called health inequities."

A TBT in honor of Disability Awareness Month... Here is an excellent article from June in JAMA Health Forum by Joel Michael Reynolds, PhD. “Recognition of disabled people’s health disparities also paves the way for applications that reach from the level of the population down to that of the individual patient. A widely cited 2021 study[9] of 714 physicians reported that 82.4% believe that people with “significant disability” have worse quality of life (QoL) than people without disabilities. This is a troubling finding because social scientific research on the relationship between disability and QoL since the 1990s has shown that people with disabilities, significant or not, have similar levels of QoL as those without.[9] The ableist conflation of disability with pain and suffering can mislead practitioners into believing that disabled patients are, on the whole, living terrible lives.[10] A health disparities lens suggests to the contrary that most disabled people instead face adversity because of the misfit they experience in the discriminatory, stigmatizing, inaccessible, and ableist environments they find confronting them day in and day out. As the NIMHD health disparity designation signifies, being disabled results in societally caused, and thereby preventable, effects on an individual’s health status.” https://lnkd.in/eBy2g3Yk

Great article and work, overall - major takeaway is FREE training: "To address biases and improve confidence and skills around providing care to people with disabilities, the New Hampshire Disability and Health Program offers a health professional training on Responsive Practice. This free training is available for a variety of health professionals, including physicians, nurses, dentists, social workers, administrative staff, and community health workers. The training has two modules: a one-hour module on treating and screening patients with disabilities and a half-hour module on communicating with patients with disabilities."

And it's not fair that people with disabilities are not accounted in a thorough, scientifically-sound, and replicable way in US population-based surveys. Improved questions to identify people with disabiiltes should be developed so that nurses and researchers like me can better partner with disabled people to achieve their health goals. The short-term, mid-range, and long-range suggestions in this paper will get us there.

#InclusiveHealth for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) is part of #socialjustice. Today, Special Olympics announces its new Rosemary Collaboratory initiative that aims to promote health systems that are more accessible, affordable, and able to provide appropriate, high-quality care to this underserved population. The 2022 World Health Organization Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities highlighted that people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) are six times more likely to die from preventable health conditions than the general population. Special Olympics has worked with The Missing Billion Initiative to develop a set of IDD-specific criteria to look at alongside their System-Level Assessment. As part of Rosemary Collaboratory, local experts in eight countries and three U.S. states will gather data on IDD inclusion in health systems to contribute to a better understanding of those left furthest behind and strengthen responses to improve health equity for people with IDD. With the support of Global Health Advocacy Incubator, Special Olympics will release a global report on the health of persons with IDD in 2025 that will highlight good practices and share policy recommendations to contribute to the momentum advancing social justice, making sure that people with IDD are not left out or left behind. Reach out to inclusivehealth@specialolympics.org to learn more.

This week marks 34 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act! 🎉 Check out this National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM) overview on how we can continue to improve healthcare in the disability space: https://lnkd.in/gD8GAJgv

Let's come together and advocate for the health and well-being of individuals with developmental disabilities. Together, we can create positive change! 💙🌟 We can all advocate by contacting our state’s representatives and urging them to support the HEADs UP Act of 2023. -         The HEADs UP Act is a bi-partisan bill re-introduced in the 118th Congress on May 16, 2023. This bill was previously introduced in the 117th Congress but did not move out of the subcommittee. -         As of May 19, 2023, the bill is currently in the Subcommittee on Health for review.   -         With your support and advocacy skills, it is my hope that this bill will move to the next phase of the legislative process. What would the HEADs UP Act of 2023 provide? ** It will designate people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) as a “Medically Underserved Population,” which would increase access for individuals with I/DD to more than 25 federal programs and agencies. ** It will increase access to loan repayment and training programs for providers who work with individuals with I/DD.  ** Physicians will be incentivized to treat this population by increasing reimbursement rates for services delivered. ** It will authorize the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to health centers that provide services for individuals with I/DD. ** It will potentially increase research due to the preference given to federal research studying medically underserved populations. Here is how to find your house representatives and senators: Members of the U.S. Congress | Congress.gov | Library of Congress #developmentaldisabilities #HEADsUPAct This bill, introduced by Rep. Seth Moulton from Massachusetts, requests an amendment to the 1944 Public Health Service Act. It seeks to add "individuals with a developmental disability" to the special Medically Underserved Populations (MUPs) list. This will enable increased funding for training, research, health professionals, and health centers specifically targeted towards improving the health of people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. 🏥📚 We have the power to make a difference and show our support for this bill by reaching out to our own Congress members! 📞💻✉️ Spread the word by using the hashtag: #HEADsUPCongress Stand up for accessibility, inclusion, and improved healthcare for individuals with developmental disabilities. Let's show our support and make our voices heard! ✨ #Bill2417 #HEADsUPAct #DevelopmentalDisabilitiesAdvocacy #SupportingOurCommunity

On this Global Accessibility Awareness Day, I reflect on my journey in the disability field. The strides made since the Canadian Supreme Court's landmark decision in the 1980s ending forced sterilization, the closure of institutions into the 2000s, and the brave actions of individuals like the late Leilani (O'Malley) Muir and People First Canada in challenging injustice have shaped the landscape of accessible healthcare in Canada and beyond. While significant progress has been achieved in providing humane and equitable care, persistent structural and systemic barriers continue to impede access to essential health services for persons with disabilities. Complex application processes and disability stigma create hurdles, limiting accessibility to vital resources. It is crucial to address barriers and work towards healthcare systems that are inclusive and accessible for all. Let's continue our efforts to break down obstacles and strive for a healthcare system that embraces diversity and supports every individual's well-being. #GlobalAccessibilityAwarenessDay #InclusionMatters #HealthcareEquality

Lack of disability data impedes healthcare equity: Addressing the absence of health data on people with disabilities is the essential first step health systems and policy makers can take to reduce care inequity and improve outcomes for this population: https://lnkd.in/ggJfBZcy

IN THE NEWS! Feds Bar Disability Discrimination In Health Care The regulation specifies... 🔸 that people with disabilities should not be denied medical treatments due to biases or stereotypes 🔸 that ideas about the value of a person’s life or whether they might burden others due to their disabilities have no place in determinations about organ transplants, life-sustaining care, crisis standards of care or otherwise 🔸 that many medical providers are required to have at least one accessible exam table and weight scale within two years 🔸 that the provider websites and mobile applications are accessible to people with disabilities https://lnkd.in/gXi-YzPF