Quality care is equitable care: a call to action to link quality to achieving health equity within acute care surgery

Health equity is defined as the sixth domain of healthcare quality. Understanding health disparities in acute care surgery (defined as trauma surgery, emergency general surgery and surgical critical care) is key to identifying targets that will improve outcomes and ensure delivery of high-quality ca...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Lillian S Kao, Brandon Bruns, Lisa M Knowlton, Cherisse Berry, Tanya Zakrison, Suresh Agarwal, Marta L McCrum, Kathie-Ann Joseph
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2023-11-01
Series:Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open
Online Access:https://tsaco.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001098.full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850066865629429760
author Lillian S Kao
Brandon Bruns
Lisa M Knowlton
Cherisse Berry
Tanya Zakrison
Suresh Agarwal,
Marta L McCrum
Kathie-Ann Joseph
author_facet Lillian S Kao
Brandon Bruns
Lisa M Knowlton
Cherisse Berry
Tanya Zakrison
Suresh Agarwal,
Marta L McCrum
Kathie-Ann Joseph
author_sort Lillian S Kao
collection DOAJ
description Health equity is defined as the sixth domain of healthcare quality. Understanding health disparities in acute care surgery (defined as trauma surgery, emergency general surgery and surgical critical care) is key to identifying targets that will improve outcomes and ensure delivery of high-quality care within healthcare organizations. Implementing a health equity framework within institutions such that local acute care surgeons can ensure equity is a component of quality is imperative. Recognizing this need, the AAST (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee convened an expert panel entitled ‘Quality Care is Equitable Care’ at the 81st annual meeting in September 2022 (Chicago, Illinois). Recommendations for introducing health equity metrics within health systems include: (1) capturing patient outcome data including patient experience data by race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, and gender identity; (2) ensuring cultural competency (eg, availability of language services; identifying sources of bias or inequities); (3) prioritizing health literacy; and (4) measuring disease-specific disparities such that targeted interventions are developed and implemented. A stepwise approach is outlined to include health equity as an organizational quality indicator.
format Article
id doaj-art-0677f3c13a3f4666ab5e075e5a6ce652
institution DOAJ
issn 2397-5776
language English
publishDate 2023-11-01
publisher BMJ Publishing Group
record_format Article
series Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open
spelling doaj-art-0677f3c13a3f4666ab5e075e5a6ce6522025-08-20T02:48:35ZengBMJ Publishing GroupTrauma Surgery & Acute Care Open2397-57762023-11-018110.1136/tsaco-2023-001098Quality care is equitable care: a call to action to link quality to achieving health equity within acute care surgeryLillian S Kao0Brandon Bruns1Lisa M Knowlton2Cherisse Berry3Tanya Zakrison4Suresh Agarwal,5Marta L McCrum6Kathie-Ann Joseph7Department of Surgery, McGovern Medical School at UT Health Houston, Houston, Texas, USADepartment of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas, USA1 Department of Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA7 Department of Surgery, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USASurgery, University of Chicago Biological Sciences Division, Chicago, Illinois, USA3 Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA4 Department of Surgery, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake, Utah, USA7 Department of Surgery, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USAHealth equity is defined as the sixth domain of healthcare quality. Understanding health disparities in acute care surgery (defined as trauma surgery, emergency general surgery and surgical critical care) is key to identifying targets that will improve outcomes and ensure delivery of high-quality care within healthcare organizations. Implementing a health equity framework within institutions such that local acute care surgeons can ensure equity is a component of quality is imperative. Recognizing this need, the AAST (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma) Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee convened an expert panel entitled ‘Quality Care is Equitable Care’ at the 81st annual meeting in September 2022 (Chicago, Illinois). Recommendations for introducing health equity metrics within health systems include: (1) capturing patient outcome data including patient experience data by race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, and gender identity; (2) ensuring cultural competency (eg, availability of language services; identifying sources of bias or inequities); (3) prioritizing health literacy; and (4) measuring disease-specific disparities such that targeted interventions are developed and implemented. A stepwise approach is outlined to include health equity as an organizational quality indicator.https://tsaco.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001098.full
spellingShingle Lillian S Kao
Brandon Bruns
Lisa M Knowlton
Cherisse Berry
Tanya Zakrison
Suresh Agarwal,
Marta L McCrum
Kathie-Ann Joseph
Quality care is equitable care: a call to action to link quality to achieving health equity within acute care surgery
Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open
title Quality care is equitable care: a call to action to link quality to achieving health equity within acute care surgery
title_full Quality care is equitable care: a call to action to link quality to achieving health equity within acute care surgery
title_fullStr Quality care is equitable care: a call to action to link quality to achieving health equity within acute care surgery
title_full_unstemmed Quality care is equitable care: a call to action to link quality to achieving health equity within acute care surgery
title_short Quality care is equitable care: a call to action to link quality to achieving health equity within acute care surgery
title_sort quality care is equitable care a call to action to link quality to achieving health equity within acute care surgery
url https://tsaco.bmj.com/content/8/1/e001098.full
work_keys_str_mv AT lillianskao qualitycareisequitablecareacalltoactiontolinkqualitytoachievinghealthequitywithinacutecaresurgery
AT brandonbruns qualitycareisequitablecareacalltoactiontolinkqualitytoachievinghealthequitywithinacutecaresurgery
AT lisamknowlton qualitycareisequitablecareacalltoactiontolinkqualitytoachievinghealthequitywithinacutecaresurgery
AT cherisseberry qualitycareisequitablecareacalltoactiontolinkqualitytoachievinghealthequitywithinacutecaresurgery
AT tanyazakrison qualitycareisequitablecareacalltoactiontolinkqualitytoachievinghealthequitywithinacutecaresurgery
AT sureshagarwal qualitycareisequitablecareacalltoactiontolinkqualitytoachievinghealthequitywithinacutecaresurgery
AT martalmccrum qualitycareisequitablecareacalltoactiontolinkqualitytoachievinghealthequitywithinacutecaresurgery
AT kathieannjoseph qualitycareisequitablecareacalltoactiontolinkqualitytoachievinghealthequitywithinacutecaresurgery