An evaluation of conceptual frameworks to improve reproductive health outcomes among women with physical disabilities.

AIM(S): To identify and evaluate conceptual frameworks intended to guide reproductive health research among women with physical disabilities. DESIGN: Discussion paper. METHODS: We identified and evaluated frameworks related to the reproductive health of women with physical disabilities using modified criteria by Fawcett and DeSanto-Madeya with constructs from the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health. DATA SOURCES: We conducted a systematic review of literature published from 2001 to 2024 in four databases. RESULTS: Our review revealed two frameworks: (1) A perinatal health framework for women with physical disabilities is applicable to studies that consider multiple socioecological determinants in pregnancy; (2) A conceptual framework of reproductive health in the context of physical disabilities can guide the development of patient-reported outcome measures for a range of reproductive health outcomes. CONCLUSION: The identified frameworks have high potential to guide studies that can improve the reproductive health of women with physical disabilities. However, they have low social congruence among racially and ethnically minoritized women. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Future frameworks must take an intersectional approach and consider the compounding injustices of ableism, racism, classism and ageism on reproductive health. A holistic approach that is inherent to the discipline of nursing is essential to address these knowledge gaps. IMPACT: The reproductive health of women with disabilities is a research priority. Nurses and other researchers can select the framework most applicable to their research questions to guide study designs and should incorporate multi-level determinants to eliminate reproductive health disparities.

Linguistic isolation correlates with length of stay and mortality for pediatric oncology patients in California.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate social drivers of health and how they impact pediatric oncology patients' clinical outcomes during pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) admission via correlation with patient ZIP codes. METHODS: Demographic, clinical, and outcome variables from Virtual Pediatric Systems®, LLC for oncology patients (2009-2021) in California PICUs (excluding postoperative) using 3-digit ZIP Codes with social drivers of health variables linguistic isolation, poverty, race/ethnicity, and education abstracted from American Community Survey data for 3-digit ZIP Codes using the Environmental Protection Agency's EJScreen tool. Outcomes of length of stay (LOS), mortality, acuity scores, were compared with social variables. RESULTS: Positive correlation between mortality and minority racial groups (Hispanic/Latino) across ZIP Codes (correlation coefficients of 0.45 (95% CI: 0.22-0.64, p < 0.001) in 2017, 0.50 (95% CI: 0.27-0.68, p < 0.001) in 2018, 0.33 (95% CI: 0.07-0.54, p = 0.013) in 2020, and 0.32 (95% CI: 0.06-0.53, p = 0.018) in 2021). Median PICU length of stay significantly correlated with linguistic isolation (coefficient of 0.42 (95% CI: 0.18-0.61, p = 0.001) in 2021 versus -0.41 (95% CI: -0.61 to -0.16, p = 0.002) in 2019), which included PRISMIII (n = 7417). Mixed effects logistic regression model for other constant variables (PRISMIII, cancer type, race/ethnicity, year), random effect of patient, linguistic isolation (percentage as a continuous value) was significantly associated (95% CI: 1.01-1.06; p = 0.02) with mortality; (OR = 1.03). CONCLUSIONS: Linguistic isolation was correlated with LOS and mortality, however variable year to year.

Hepatitis C Virus Care Cascade by Race/Ethnicity in a Statewide Correctional Population, 2019-2023.

IMPORTANCE: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) care cascade data by race/ethnicity for US correctional populations are sparse. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the HCV care cascade by race/ethnicity for a state correctional population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective cohort study used Connecticut Department of Correction data for incarcerated individuals tested, diagnosed, and treated for chronic HCV infection with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) from 2019 to 2023. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: HCV care cascade outcomes, including testing, treatment, and cure rates, were compared by race/ethnicity. Poisson regression was used to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs), with adjustment for demographic and legal status factors. RESULTS: A total of 24,867 patients tested for HCV (88.9% men, mean (SD) age 35.6 (11.8), 32.7% White, 37.9% Black, 28.4% Hispanic, 0.6% Asian, 0.4% American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN), 34.7% sentenced ≥ 1 year). Both HCV exposure and chronic HCV were highest for White (27.1% and 15.2%) and lowest for Black individuals (4.6% and 2.6%) (P < 0.01, for both outcomes). While incarcerated, 63.2% of chronic HCV patients started DAAs, and treatment rates did not significantly differ by race/ethnicity (P > 0.05). For those treated and having post-treatment lab data available, cure rates were 98.8% or better for all racial/ethnic groups (P > 0.05). In the adjusted regression analyses, HCV treatment initiation was lower for those sentenced < 1 year (PR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.67-0.87) and unsentenced (PR, 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80-0.91) than those sentenced ≥ 1 year. The adjusted prevalence of advanced fibrosis stage/activity grade was not significantly associated with race/ethnicity. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort study, less than two-thirds of chronic HCV patients initiated DAA treatment during their incarceration, and for those with available data, nearly all were cured. While there were disparities in HCV exposure and chronic HCV infection, significant racial/ethnic differences were not observed for treatment initiation or cure rates. Further efforts are needed to increase HCV treatment, especially for patients with shorter incarceration periods.

Healthcare workers' perspectives on a prescription phone program to meet the health equity needs of patients in the emergency department: a qualitative study.

OBJECTIVES: People experiencing homelessness and marginalization face considerable barriers to accessing healthcare services. Increased reliance on technology within healthcare has exacerbated these inequities. We evaluated a hospital-based prescription phone program aimed to reduce digital health inequities and improve access to services among marginalized patients in Emergency Departments. We examined the perceived outcomes of the program and the contextual barriers and facilitators affecting outcomes. METHODS: We conducted a constructivist qualitative program evaluation at two urban, academic hospitals in Toronto, Ontario. We interviewed 12 healthcare workers about their perspectives on program implementation and outcomes and analyzed the interview data using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Our analyses generated five interrelated program outcomes: building trust with patients, facilitating independence in healthcare, bridging sectors of care, enabling equitable care for marginalized populations, and mitigating moral distress among healthcare workers. Participants expressed that phone provision is critical for adequately serving patients who face barriers to accessing health and social services, and for supporting healthcare workers who often lack resources to adequately serve these patients. We identified key contextual enablers and challenges that may influence program outcomes and future implementation efforts. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that providing phones to marginalized patient populations may address digital and social health inequities; however, building trusting relationships with patients, understanding the unique needs of these populations, and operating within a biopsychosocial model of health are key to program success.

ABSTRAIT: OBJECTIFS: Les personnes sans abri et marginalisées font face à des obstacles considérables pour accéder aux services de santé. Le recours accru à la technologie dans les soins de santé a exacerbé ces inégalités. Nous avons évalué un programme de téléphones d'ordonnance en milieu hospitalier visant à réduire les inégalités en santé numérique et à améliorer l'accès aux services chez les patients marginalisés des services d'urgence. Nous avons examiné les résultats perçus du programme et les obstacles contextuels et facilitateurs qui influent sur les résultats. MéTHODES: Nous avons mené une évaluation qualitative constructiviste de programmes dans deux hôpitaux universitaires urbains de Toronto, en Ontario. Nous avons interviewé 12 travailleurs de la santé au sujet de leurs points de vue sur la mise en œuvre et les résultats du programme et analysé les données des entrevues au moyen d'une analyse thématique réflexive. RéSULTATS: Nos analyses ont généré cinq résultats de programme interdépendants : établir la confiance avec les patients, faciliter l'indépendance dans les soins de santé, rapprocher les secteurs de soins, permettre des soins équitables pour les populations marginalisées et atténuer la détresse morale chez les travailleurs de la santé. Les participants ont indiqué que la fourniture de services téléphoniques est essentielle pour servir adéquatement les patients qui font face à des obstacles à l'accès aux services de santé et aux services sociaux, et pour soutenir les travailleurs de la santé qui manquent souvent de ressources pour servir adéquatement ces patients. Nous avons cerné les principaux catalyseurs contextuels et les défis qui pourraient influer sur les résultats du programme et les efforts de mise en œuvre futurs. CONCLUSION: Nos résultats suggèrent que la fourniture de téléphones aux populations de patients marginalisés peut remédier aux inégalités numériques et sociales en matière de santé; cependant, établir des relations de confiance avec les patients, comprendre les besoins uniques de ces populations, La réussite du programme repose sur le fait de fonctionner dans un modèle biopsychosocial de la santé.

Ambulance service recognition of health inequalities and activities for reduction: An evidence and gap map of the published literature.

Background: Emergency medical services (EMS) are often patients' first point of contact for urgent and emergency care needs. Patients are triaged over the phone and may receive an ambulance response, with potential conveyance to the hospital. A recent scoping review suggested disparities in EMS patient care in the United States. However, it is unknown how health inequalities impact EMS care in other developed countries and how inequalities are being addressed. Objectives: This rapid evidence map of published literature aims to map known health inequalities in EMS patients and describe interventions reducing health inequalities in EMS patient care. Methods: The search strategy consisted of EMS synonyms and health inequality synonyms. The MEDLINE/PubMed database was searched from 1 January 2010 to 26 July 2022. Studies were included if they described empirical research exploring health inequalities within ambulance service patient care. Studies were mapped on to the EMS care interventions framework and Core20PLUS5 framework. Studies evaluating interventions were synthesised using the United Kingdom Allied Health Professions Public Health Strategic Framework. Results: The search strategy yielded 771 articles, excluding duplicates, with two more studies added from hand searches. One hundred studies met the inclusion criteria after full-text review. Inequalities in EMS patient care were predominantly situated in assessment, treatment and conveyance, although triage and response performance were also represented. Studies mostly explored EMS health inequalities within ethnic minority populations, populations with protected characteristics and the core issue of social deprivation. Studies evaluating interventions reducing health inequalities (n = 5) were from outside the United Kingdom and focused on older patients, ethnic minorities and those with limited English proficiency. Interventions included community paramedics, awareness campaigns, dedicated language lines and changes to EMS protocols. Conclusions: Further UK-based research exploring health inequalities of EMS patients would support ambulance service policy and intervention development to reduce health inequality in urgent and emergency care delivery.

Nurses-Led Municipal Leadership and Governance Program: Experiences of Local Chief Executives in Central Visayas, Philippines.

Background: The strategic response of nurses in addressing health inequities in marginal sectors led to the conduct of a health leadership governance training program for local chief executives. Objective: This study aimed to explore and provide a description of the experiences of local chief executives (LCEs) or mayors who participated in the nurse-initiated health training named Municipal Leadership and Governance Program (MLGP). Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used through key informant interviews of fifteen mayors or local chief executives (LCE) in the provinces of Bohol and Negros Oriental, Philippines. Data were collected from 16 to 20 November 2022 and analyzed using a thematic approach. Results: The findings generated six themes: a) Leadership capacitation promoting transformative experience, b) Pandemic and program-induced limitations in the training implementation, c) Personal leadership motivation, d) Experiential learning promoting learning as applied in real-world situations, e) Celebrating leadership transformation, and f) 3R's of MLGP: revisit, review, recommend. Conclusion: The realizations of the training participants provided valuable implications for the quality of training offered by nurse leaders who advocated the MLGP implementation. It served as a proactive and responsive approach to the health leadership capacitation of mayors. It guided them in their personal realizations that inspired them to apply what they had learned and enabled them to effect experiences of personal to institutional transformation.

Sociodemographic Inequalities in COVID-19 Booster Dose Vaccination Coverage: a Retrospective Study of 196 Provinces in Peru.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 vaccination coverage shows variability in booster doses between residency areas or ethnicity. The aim of this study was to evaluate how sociodemographic conditions influence unequal vaccination coverage with booster doses against COVID-19 in Peru. METHODS: A retrospective, ecological study with an evaluation of 196 provinces in Peru. The sociodemographic conditions were evaluated as sources of inequality (sex, age group, educational level, residence area, and ethnic group). The inequality measure used was the GINI, an index that show the inequal vaccination coverage with third and fourth booster doses against COVID-19 in Peruvians provinces. The index allow determinate a higher inequality when the value is near to 1, and a lower inequality when the value is near to 0. Also, the impact of each sociodemographic condition in the general inequality was evaluate with a decomposition analysis of GINI coefficient into Sk (composition effect), Gk (redistribution effect), Rk (differential effect). RESULTS: In provinces evaluated the mean vaccine coverage for the third and fourth booster doses was 57.00% and 22.19%, respectively at twelve months since the beginning of vaccination campaign. The GINI coefficient was 0.33 and 0.31, for the third and fourth booster doses coverage, respectively. In the decomposition analysis, twelve months after the start of the third and fourth dose vaccination campaign, revealed higher Sk values for people living in rural areas (Sk = 0.94 vs. Sk = 2.39, respectively for third and fourth dose), while higher Gk values for Aymara (Gk = 0.92 vs. Gk = 0.92, respectively), Quechua (Gk = 0.53 vs. Gk = 0.53, respectively), and Afro-Peruvians (Gk = 0.61 vs. Gk = 0.61, respectively). Also, higher negative correlation in Rk values for people with elementary education (Rk=-0.43 vs. Rk=-0.33, respectively), aged between 15 and 19 years (Rk=-0.49 vs. Rk=-0.37, respectively), and Aymara (Rk=-0.51 vs. Rk=-0.66, respectively). CONCLUSION: The rural residency area, lower education and Quechua, Aymara or Afro-Peruvians ethnicity determinated inequalities in vaccination coverage with booster doses against COVID-19 in Peruvian provinces.

Addressing Disparities in Pediatric Congenital Heart Disease: A Call for Equitable Health Care.

While significant progress has been made in reducing disparities within the US health care system, notable gaps remain. This article explores existing disparities within pediatric congenital heart disease care. Congenital heart disease, the most common birth defect and a leading cause of infant death, has garnered substantial attention, revealing certain disparities within the US health care system. Factors such as race, ethnicity, insurance coverage, socioeconomic status, and geographic location are all commonalities that significantly affect health disparities in pediatric congenital heart disease. This comprehensive review sheds light on disparities from diverse perspectives in pediatric care, demonstrates the inequities and inequalities leading to these disparities, presents effective solutions, and issues a call to action for providers, institutions, and the health care system. Recognizing and addressing these disparities is imperative for ensuring equitable care and enhancing the long-term well-being of children affected by congenital heart disease. Implementing robust, evidence-based frameworks that promote responsible and safe interventions is fundamental to enduring change.

Social Determinants of Health in a Kansas Community Health Center.

Introduction: This study explored the connection between social determinants and patient self-rated health at Health Ministries Clinic (HMC) in a rural Kansas community. Community health centers, like HMC, strive to deliver comprehensive care that addresses patients' social needs. Methods: The authors employed a convenience sampling method to survey HMC patients with appointments from September to December 2018. The authors analyzed the data using Chi-square tests and descriptive statistics in RStudio, considering p <0.05 as significant. Results: Among 200 patient responses, education, income, employment, and insurance status were negatively correlated with self-rated health. Notably, 86.2% of college or graduate school graduates reported positive health ratings, compared to 40% of those who did not finish high school (χ2(12, N = 185) = 25.75, p = 0.012). Lower income individuals (income <$34,000 per year) consistently rated their health poorer than their higher income counterparts (χ2(12, N = 174) = 23.96, p = 0.021). Patients without insurance or with public insurance (Medicaid/ CHIP) perceived their health as worse than those on private health insurance and Medicare (χ2(12, N = 137) = 35.67, p <0.001). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that low educational attainment, income, and lack of health insurance are associated with barriers to healthcare, resulting in poor health outcomes and chronic disease among those with lower socioeconomic status. This underscores the strong association between social determinants and self-rated health among HMC patients. These results can be used by other clinics to assess the needs of their patient population and enhance community health initiatives.

Racial inequalities in the development of multimorbidity of chronic conditions: results from a Brazilian prospective cohort.

BACKGROUND: The occurrence of multimorbidity and its impacts have differentially affected population subgroups. Evidence on its incidence has mainly come from high-income regions, with limited exploration of racial disparities. This study investigated the association between racial groups and the development of multimorbidity and chronic conditions in the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). METHODS: Data from self-reported white, brown (pardos or mixed-race), and black participants at baseline of ELSA-Brasil (2008-2010) who were at risk for multimorbidity were analysed. The development of chronic conditions was assessed through in-person visits and self-reported diagnosis via telephone until the third follow-up visit (2017-2019). Multimorbidity was defined when, at the follow-up visit, the participant had two or more morbidities. Cumulative incidences, incidence rates, and adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were estimated using Poisson models. RESULTS: Over an 8.3-year follow-up, compared to white participants: browns had a 27% greater incidence of hypertension and obesity; and blacks had a 62% and 45% greater incidence, respectively. Blacks also had 58% more diabetes. The cancer incidence was greater among whites. Multimorbidity affected 41% of the participants, with a crude incidence rate of 57.5 cases per 1000 person-years (ranging from 56.3 for whites to 63.9 for blacks). Adjusted estimates showed a 20% higher incidence of multimorbidity in black participants compared to white participants (IRR: 1.20; 95% CI: 1.05-1.38). CONCLUSIONS: Significant racial disparities in the risk of chronic conditions and multimorbidity were observed. Many associations revealed a gradient increase in illness risk according to darker skin tones. Addressing fundamental causes such as racism and racial discrimination, alongside considering social determinants of health, is vital for comprehensive multimorbidity care. Intersectoral, equitable policies are essential for ensuring health rights for historically marginalized groups.

Overwork as a concept to understand health inequities for ethnicised patients in health care.

Health inequities for ethnically minoritised patients are well-documented. In this ethnographic study, we follow thirteen patients categorised as 'ethnic minorities' in Danish health care during hospitalisation in three orthopaedic wards across two hospitals. The categorisation of 'ethnic minority patient' has been problematised for its Eurocentric origin and practices within Westernised health care. We use ethnicised to emphasise the process of becoming minoritised based on markers of physical appearance, religious symbols, language or names. Access to health care also rely on perceived legitimacy as health-care recipients which requires work by patients. We demonstrate the workings patients categorised as 'ethnic minorities' engage in by (re)producing othering ideas about non-Danishness, including distancing from other patients perceived as problematic. These were then (counter)produced by positioning oneself as the opposite, as deserving health-care receivers by displaying welfare reciprocity, supporting egalitarian ideas by discounting discriminatory experiences, showing gratitude and identifying staff with good vibes. We propose these doings as creating overwork. This theoretical approach enables a sensitivity towards subtle and covert workings for patients placed in the margins of health care. In this study, overwork is closely related to notions of Danishness and takes on specific forms within a modernised and universalised Danish health-care system.

Prevalence of congenital anomalies and prenatal diagnosis by birth institution (public vs. non-public): indicators of inequality in access to elective termination of pregnancy for fetal anomalies.

Congenital anomalies (CA) encompass all morphological or functional alterations originating prenatally and present at birth. The prenatal diagnosis of these anomalies can significantly impact the overall health of the pregnant individual and may influence her decision regarding the continuation of the pregnancy. In contexts where safe pregnancy termination is not guaranteed by the state, it can lead to unsafe procedures with severe consequences. In our research, we analyzed epidemiological information on CA to develop potential indicators of inequity in access to safe abortion prior to the legalization of legal termination of pregnancy in Argentina. We included cases from 13 public hospitals and 9 non-public subsector hospitals, from the period 2013-2020. Two groups of specific CA were selected: 1) CA capable of being prenatally diagnosed, and 2) CA related to vascular disruptive events. 10/18 of the selected CA capable of being prenatally diagnosed had a significantly higher prevalence in public hospitals (anencephaly, encephalocele, spina bifida, microcephaly, hydrocephalus, holoprosencephaly, hydranencephaly, diaphragmatic hernia, gastroschisis, bilateral renal agenesis). Non public hospitals had higher prenatal detection. Birth prevalence of CA related with vascular disruptive events (limb reduction, Moebius syndrome, amniotic band sequence) were significantly higher in public hospitals. These results suggest disparities in access to prenatal diagnosis and safe abortion based on socioeconomic status. There was a significant gap in access to prenatal diagnosis for CA and possibly to safe elective abortion depending on the type of institution (public vs. non-public).

Advancing Oral Health Equity through Medical-Dental Integration: Dental hygienists as catalysts for change in an evolving health care system.

This report explores the changing landscape of oral health care delivery in the United States, highlighting the evolving role of dental hygienists. The 2021 National Institutes of Health report "Oral Health in America: Advances and Challenges" has become a key milestone in addressing oral health inequities, acknowledging the important role that dental hygienists could play in expanding innovative care models, and promoting medical-dental integration (MDI). The Rainbow Model of Integrated Care offers a framework to examine facilitators of MDI care models, revealing supportive policies, interprofessional collaborative practice, incremental change, and local leadership as some of the crucial components needed for success. Dental hygienists emerge as catalysts for change, as such, the overarching aim of this report is to contribute to the broader conversation about optimizing oral health care accessibility through integrated care models led by dental hygienists.

Assessing Regional Disparities and Vulnerability in Stroke Care across Gyeonggi Province: A Focus on Hospital Service Areas.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to illuminate regional disparities and identify vulnerable areas in stroke care across Gyeonggi Province's hospital service areas. METHODS: Using data from the Korea National Cardio-cerebrovascular Disease Management Commission, we included 4,427 acute stroke patients admitted in 2018 to hospitals within Gyeonggi Province. Our evaluation focused on: 1) stroke care quality indicators, including rates of defect-free care, intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), endovascular thrombectomy (EVT), and acute reperfusion therapy (either IVT or EVT); 2) intra-regional treatment rates; and 3) one-year mortality across the province and its 12 hospital service areas. These were compared both with national averages and inter-regionally. Vulnerable areas were pinpointed by evaluating the number of quality indicators falling below the national average and through visual distribution mapping, categorizing each indicator into higher (ranks 1-4), middle (ranks 5-8), and lower (ranks 9-12) tiers. RESULTS: Despite fewer qualified stroke centers and specialists, Gyeonggi Province exhibited higher defect-free care rates (84.6% vs. 80.7%), intra-regional treatment rates (57.8% vs. 51.0%), and marginally lower one-year mortality (16.2% vs. 17.3%) compared to national averages. Notable regional disparities were observed; the highest-performing areas for defect-free care and acute reperfusion therapy exceeded the lowest by 1.4 and 3.3 times, respectively. Nine out of twelve areas fell below the national average for EVT rates, seven for IVT and reperfusion therapy rates, and five for intra-regional treatment rates. Pyeongtaek, with all stroke care quality indicators below the national average coupled with the highest one-year mortality, emerges as a critical area needing improvement in acute stroke care. CONCLUSION: This study not only exposes the regional disparities in stroke care within Gyeonggi Province's hospital service areas but also identifies areas most vulnerable. Consequently, a customized support strategy for these areas is imperative.

Associations of role, area deprivation index, and race with health behaviors and body mass index among localized prostate cancer patients and their partners.

PURPOSE: To examine the associations of role (localized prostate cancer (PCa) patient vs. their intimate partner), area deprivation index (ADI-higher scores indicating higher neighborhood deprivation levels), and race (Black/African American (AA) vs. White) with health behaviors and body mass index (BMI) among PCa patients and partners. The behaviors include smoking, alcohol consumption, diet quality, sedentary behaviors, and physical activity (PA). METHODS: This study used the baseline data collected in a clinical trial. Given the nested structure of the dyadic data, multi-level models were used. RESULTS: Significant role-race interaction effects on smoking, ADI-race effects on alcohol consumption, and role-ADI effects on BMI were found. Meanwhile, patients smoked more cigarettes, decreased alcohol consumption, had less healthful diets, spent longer time watching TV, did fewer sedentary hobbies, had more confidence in PA, and had higher BMIs than their partners. High ADI was independently associated with lower odds of drinking alcohol, using computer/Internet, and doing non-walking PA, and higher BMI compared to low ADI controlling for role and race. Black/AA dyads had less smoking amount and alcohol consumption and higher sedentary time and BMI than White dyads when adjusted for role and ADI. CONCLUSIONS: This study identified significant interaction and main effects of role, ADI, or race on health behaviors and BMI. IMPLICATIONS FOR CANCER SURVIVORS: Future behavioral interventions should address divergent individual needs between patients and partners, social and neighborhood barriers, and cultural indicators of racial groups to promote healthful behaviors and improve the quality of survivorship for PCa patients and partners.

Digital determinants of health as a way to address multilevel complex causal model in the promotion of Digital health equity and the prevention of digital health inequities: A scoping review.

Background: With the progressive digitization of health services and the current spread of Telemedicine and e-Health, it became clear that promoting Digital health equity (DHE) is necessary to support health potential, to avoid that some individuals can incur in unintended inequities. In this paper, we address the complex causal process(es) that may generate risk of inequities, considering the so-called "Digital Determinants of health" (DDoH) and their relationship with determinants of health (DoH). Design and methods: We conducted a scoping review, according to methodological framework proposed in PRISMA-ScR guidelines, on the definition of DDoH (Scopus, Pubmed and Web of Science electronic databases). Inclusion criteria: papers on the definition of DDoH, no time limits, all study designs eligible. Results: There is an agreement on the link between DDoHs and "digital divide" and on their effects on a wide range of health, functioning outcomes, both as barriers and as facilitators. Authors proposed to modify or integrate with DDoHs the "Rainbow model" or other conceptual models on DoH. To promote DHE, authors suggest considering a multidimensional complex causal model, with interdependence among the different levels and the mutually reinforcing effects. Conclusion: To study DDoH and their relationship with main determinants of health could be a way to address the complex causal model in the promotion of DHE. However, as they act in a multidimensional causal context, any intervention may consider the interdependence among different involved levels, within them, and the mutually reinforcing effects. Further research is needed to gain a more complete picture of the field.

Perinatal mortality among pregnant undocumented migrants in Norway 1999-2020: A register-based population study.

BACKGROUND: Irregular legal status is a recognized health risk factor in the context of migration. However, undocumented migrants are rarely included in health surveys and register studies. Adverse perinatal outcomes are especially important because they have long-term consequences and societal risk factors are modifiable. In this study, we compare perinatal outcomes in undocumented migrants to foreign-born and Norwegian-born residents, using a population-based register. METHODS: We included women 18-49 years old giving birth to singletons as registered in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway from 1999 to 2020. Women were categorized as 'undocumented migrants' (without an identity number), 'documented migrants' (with an identity number and born abroad), and 'non-migrants' (with an identity number and born in Norway). The main outcome was perinatal mortality, i.e., death of a foetus ≥ gestational week 22, or neonate up to seven days after birth. We used log-binominal regression to estimate the association between legal status and perinatal mortality, adjusting for several maternal pre-gestational and gestational factors. Direct standardization was used to adjust for maternal region of origin. ETHICAL APPROVAL: Regional Ethical Committee (REK South East, case number 68329). RESULTS: We retrieved information on 5856 undocumented migrant women who gave birth during the study period representing 0.5% of the 1 247 537 births in Norway. Undocumented migrants had a relative risk of 6.17 (95% confidence interval 5.29 ̶7.20) of perinatal mortality compared to non-migrants and a relative risk of 4.17 (95% confidence interval 3.51 ̶4.93) compared to documented migrants. Adjusting for maternal region of origin attenuated the results slightly. CONCLUSION: Being undocumented is strongly associated with perinatal mortality in the offspring. Disparities were not explained by maternal origin or maternal health factors, indicating that social determinants of health through delays in receiving adequate care and factors negatively influencing gestational length may be of importance.

The role of competency based medical education in addressing health inequities and cultivating inclusive learning environments.

Pediatric health inequities are pervasive and reflect the confluence of social and structural determinants of health including racism in all its forms. Current approaches in graduate medical education that prepare trainees to address health inequities and improve population health are inadequate. Competency based medical education (CBME) can advance equity-oriented efforts to improve patient outcomes, optimize the learning environment and encourage lifelong learning. We briefly describe the impact of racism and discrimination on the clinical learning environment. We then highlight how to apply the 5 core principles of CBME to equip learners across the continuum to address health inequities. We provide specific examples including 1) how CBME can inform teaching, assessment and professional development activities to promote equitable pediatric health outcomes via enturstable professional activities, 2) competency-focused instruction that address racism and inequities, 3) multimodal learning approaches to facilitate the acquisition of the desired competencies to address health inequities, 4) sequenced learning approaches across the continuum of practicing pediatricians, and 5) tools and resources for programmatic assessment of trainee and program performance in addressing pediatric health inequities.