While the health of Americans overall has improved dramatically over the past century, these gains have not been shared equally, with racial and ethnic minorities continuing to suffer worse health outcomes. Enduring examples include higher rates of hypertension, myocardial infarctions, strokes, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and lower life expectancy among black individuals, along with increased rates of diabetes and infant mortality in Native Americans. Now, as mass protests force self-examination and reform across the spectrum of U.S. institutions, the COVID-19 pandemic offers glaring evidence of the nation’s racial divide in healthcare: Black Americans are dying of the disease at more than twice the rate of whites.
In response to recent events, Rockpointe, a leading continuing medical education provider, continues its pioneering efforts with a free live CME webinar, Eliminating Disparities in Healthcare: What Can You Do? at 1 p.m. ET (noon CT/10 a.m. PT) Thursday, July 9. The webinar content will also be made available as an on-demand, cme webcourse. Education on healthcare disparities has focused on statistics and awareness. To address the issue effectively, this hour-long program will provide physicians with an understanding of the causes of healthcare disparities and will give them tools to help achieve healthcare equity.
“We felt it was paramount to have an open discussion on the issue of racial disparities in healthcare and provide practical lessons for clinicians of steps they can take that can immediately be implemented with their patients,” said Thomas Sullivan, CEO of Rockpointe.
Rockpointe has addressed racial disparities in the past, producing educational programs such as a grand round series on heart failure and African-Americans. More recently, the CME provider has created programs to help clinicians navigate the quickly changing demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. Sullivan’s service on the Governor’s P-20 Leadership Council of Maryland’s working group on at-risk students has given him unique insight into institutional inequalities and has made clear the need to address disparities directly, in this case by delivering practical education to healthcare providers.
This activity, provided in collaboration with The Maryland State Medical Society (MedChi), and several other state medical societies is intended for U.S.-based clinicians. Program faculty will identify prominent disparities and social determinants of health before examining the effects of racial and ethnic differences between healthcare providers and patients on patient outcomes. Participants also will learn about resources to help at-risk patients improve their health outcomes.
This free cme program is designed to address Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and National Academy of Medicine (NAM) competencies, including delivering patient-centered care and practicing evidence-based medicine. At its conclusion, participants should be able to:
- Identify social determinants of health that may place patients at risk for poor outcomes.
- Discuss the effects of racial/ethnic differences between healthcare providers and patients on patient outcomes.
- Use available resources to assist at-risk patients to improve health outcomes.
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Potomac Center for Medical Education (PCME) and Rockpointe and is not supported by an commercial interest or grantor. PCME is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
PCME designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. To receive credit, participants must register, view the live CME activity in its entirety, and then complete the post-test, with a score of 75% or better, and evaluation.
Through effective continuing medical education, Rockpointe strives to improve and advance the quality of patient care. Its educational programs have been at the forefront of new issues in healthcare, such as managing challenges posed by COVID-19, combating the nation’s opioid crisis, and utilizing technical advances that improve care. As part of its commitment to quality, Rockpointe works to inform the continuing-education community of significant quality-improvement issues through news and analysis on Policy and Medicine. In addition, its popular Medical Education Exchange (MEDX) CME regional meetings include sessions on the basics of quality improvement and alternative payment models, as well as relevant and scientifically accurate sessions on numerous disease states. All sessions include links back to associated National Quality Priorities to reinforce the bigger picture and the triple aim of: 1) improving health and 2) lowering cost to 3) better the patient experience. At Rockpointe, education equals quality.
To register for the healthcare disparities webinar, go to https://www.pathlms.com/rockpointe/courses/20746 or click here.