Ludeman Family Center for Women's Health Research’s Post

Unlocking better health outcomes through personalized treatment is no longer just a dream – it's a reality with the integration of Social Determinants of Health (SDoH). 🌍🏥 Recognizing that factors like environment, socio-economic status, and access to resources impact health, we're now tailoring treatments accordingly. By addressing these SDoH, we create a holistic approach that truly meets individual needs. It's a game-changer that enhances the effectiveness of healthcare and empowers patients on a whole new level. Let's embrace SDoH for healthier lives! 💙🌱 #PersonalizedHealth #SDoHAdvocates

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States, resulting in one in every five deaths. Despite the toll of #HeartDisease on both men and women, notable disparities exist for women—from research to clinical care. The opportunities to improve women’s heart health are vast, and they are deserving of being prioritized at the federal level. #AmericanHeartMonth Learn more about these opportunities in the new SWHR Heart Health Policy Agenda: https://ow.ly/g2eA50QHlLu #SWHRtalksHeart

I believe in sharing health-related information on this site. I have been involved in health care for over 40 years. Taking care of yourself will help you navigate the aging process tremendously. The final challenge in your financial life typically deals with long-term care. Long-term care is not just medical care but about the day-to-day support and the needs of aging, typically at home for as long as possible. It is expensive and time-consuming. It creates dependency. Untreated high blood pressure can lead to a variety of physical ills, such as heart disease, kidney disease, blindness, circulatory impairment of the legs, and stroke. Check in with your PCP or another healthcare provider for guidance.

As a person of color, managing diabetes can be extra challenging due to lack of access to important technology. Christie Gehman, a Penn State Health registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist at Penn State Health Lime Spring Outpatient Center, is on a mission to address the intersection of diabetes and minorities, working towards equal access to technology for better health outcomes. Awareness and education are key in addressing potential biases that affect healthcare. Let’s work towards closing these gaps and ensuring equitable care for all. #HealthEquity #DiabetesAwareness #racialequity Learn More: https://ow.ly/2WGP50RIPoj

In recent years, patients such as Rebecca Hiles and Ellen Maud Bennett have brought attention to the fact that weight bias can lead to the misdiagnosis of critical illnesses like cancer. “It was very scary to sort of exist in a body that I thought was failing me and have medical professionals who didn’t seem to take me seriously,” Hiles said. After years of being told she needed to lose weight, Hiles was diagnosed with cancer after a tumor was found in her bronchial tube. Tragically, we cannot hear from Ellen Maud Bennet directly. Benett’s obituary read, “Over the past few years of feeling unwell she sought out medical intervention and no one offered any support or suggestions beyond weight loss. Ellen’s dying wish was that women of size make her death matter by advocating strongly for their health and not accepting that fat is the only relevant health issue.” These are two cases among thousands of others. Weight bias causes untold and entirely unnecessary suffering, preventable illness, disability, and death. Poor care and poor outcomes due to bias and discrimination against people with larger body size is an overlooked epidemic - at least 1 in 3 people living in the USA are at risk for stigma, discrimination, and poor treatment solely due to their body size. Diversity Science recently provided an in-depth post if interested. This is an urgent issue for health care organization. And, it doesn't stop with patients: Healthcare personnel are also at high risk. We have conducted Organizational Climate Assessments with dozens of healthcare organizations and found that healthcare personnel employees of larger body size, as compared with others, are: - less likely to feel respected,  - more likely to report that they have to keep proving their competence (no matter how long they worked at their organization),  - and are less likely to feel to report that their organization is a good place to get healthcare for people like them. (If you want more information its available here: https://lnkd.in/gjgAr3hi) Diversity Science has been proud to work with Lead Subject Matter expert Sean Phelan and other stakeholders to develop an evidence-based Video eLearning course for healthcare personnel on this essential and overlooked topic. As with all our courses, they are evidence-based yet responsive to the real world of health care, guided by the learners themseves, and use case examples and engaging scenarios to bring the course to life. The course was free for review for September but after several requests, we just extended the free review access has been extended one more week. (https://lnkd.in/g9aaRF2K). After that time, the course is very low cost, free for organizational review and assessment, and discounts are available. If you complete it, please provide feedback!

“It was very scary to sort of exist in a body that I thought was failing me and have medical professionals who didn’t seem to take me seriously,” Rebecca Hiles said. After years of being told she needed to lose weight, Hiles was diagnosed with cancer after a tumor was found in her bronchial tube. Tragically, we cannot hear from Ellen Maud Bennet directly. Benett’s obituary read, “Over the past few years of feeling unwell, she sought out medical intervention and no one offered any support or suggestions beyond weight loss. Ellen’s dying wish was that women of size make her death matter by advocating strongly for their health and not accepting that fat is the only relevant health issue.” These are two cases among thousands of others. Weight bias causes untold and entirely unnecessary suffering, preventable illness, disability, and death. Poor care and poor outcomes due to bias and discrimination against people with larger body size is an overlooked epidemic - at least 1 in 3 people living in the USA are at risk for stigma, discrimination, and poor treatment solely due to their body size. Diversity Science recently provided an in-depth post if you are interested (https://lnkd.in/gP9nYmVX) See our course (Lead Subject Matter Expert Sean Phelan) at https://lnkd.in/gv3td7kH to get deeper insight and actionable strategies. Contact us directly for webinars and workshops on the crucial topic (solutions@diversityscience.org).

As a physician dedicated to improving the lives of those with chronic health conditions, Lisa Nelson, MD, witnessed firsthand the transformative healing that happens in group health visits. For people who struggle with physical conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, or chronic pain, or mental health conditions like anxiety and depression, a group health visit can help people forge connections, live better, and feel better. Read more about who is a good candidate for group health visits, what are the advantages of group health visits, how do group visit patients help each other, and what are some other benefits of group health care.

When a patient’s blood pressure or blood sugar creeps too high, physicians default to adjusting the medication. It’s almost reflexive. But we hardly ever consider medication noncompliance, lifestyle changes, financial constraints, stress levels, or any of the myriad conditions that would affect progression of these chronic diseases. By simplifying the complex socioeconomic patterns that drive chronic disease into a reflexive decision to adjust the medication, we overlook considerations that may be far more significant in the patient’s disease. The solution is to think like a contrarian. 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔 🤔 Always challenge your basic assumptions to glean blind spots you might have missed, particularly for situations that might be slightly different from what you’re accustomed to. #sdoh #socialdeterminantsofhealth #disparities

Men’s Health Week aims to heighten the awareness of preventable health problems and encourage early detection and treatment of disease among men and boys. During this year’s observance, Benevis is calling attention to the #oralhealth trends and health risks that are most likely to impact the male population including a lower propensity for proper #oralhygiene like brushing and flossing and a decreased likelihood of seeking preventive oral care. Read more: https://hubs.la/Q02B5bF70 #menshealthweek

There is no question: Our #healthcare system is very fragmented. Often, #primarycarephysicians only have enough time to manage a patient’s physical health but are unable to effectively provide timely #mental and #behavioralhealth services during routine visits. Problems like substance use and abuse, stress, an unhealthy diet, and chronic disease are all factors that affect our overall well-being. Failing to acknowledge these important pieces leaves a lot of blind spots in our ability to provide comprehensive, high-quality healthcare. Check out my article published by Psychology Today to learn more. #NVFP #conciergemedicine https://lnkd.in/gyrgwvzn