AAD
  • Registration
  • Daily Coverage
  • Industry Highlights
  • Product Samples
  • Small Exhibit Spotlight
  • Program
Topics
  • Daily Coverage
  • Industry Highlights
  • Product Samples
  • Small Exhibit Spotlight
  • Program
Resources
  • Registration
Facebook iconInstagram iconTwitter icon
Jul 21, 2022

“Everyone can have a positive impact.”

Dermatologists answer the call to address health inequities.


Wingfield Ellis Rehmus, MD, MPH, FAAD
Wingfield Ellis Rehmus, MD, MPH, FAAD

P028 – Innovations in Addressing Health Care Equity
Saturday, July 23 | 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Room 122

Saturday’s P028 – Innovations in Addressing Health Care Equity will explore multiple factors that contribute to health inequities and disparities, according to session director Wingfield Ellis Rehmus, MD, MPH, FAAD. The session will then shift to exploring innovations to address those inequities, including improving access to health services to underserved populations via telemedicine, increasing representation of skin of color (SOC) in medical education, expanding access to dermatology education, mitigating the impact of climate change on skin health, and supporting children and families who face structural barriers to care.

“Research into the impact of health inequities on outcomes in dermatology has demonstrated discrepancies in outcomes in many dermatology conditions, including cutaneous neoplasms, atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, and acne,” said Dr. Rehmus, who is a clinical associate professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Dermatology’s essential role

As such, dermatologists play an important role, both individually and collectively, in addressing health inequities. Session panelists will detail specific areas in which dermatologists can lend their support. For example, she said, dermatologists who are active in research can design studies that further explore health inequities and the factors that lead to them. Those in clinical practice can strive to practice in a culturally sensitive manner and learn from their patients about the structural challenges they face. Every dermatologist can work to find innovative ways to reach patients who cannot access physicians due to barriers they face, she said.

“Many of the factors that lead to health disparities are systemic in nature and will require systemic solutions,” Dr. Rehmus said. “Collectively, we can make a difference through research, education, and advocacy for systemic change.”

Educate yourself about disparities

One of the first steps dermatologists can take is to learn about health disparities, the factors that underpin and perpetuate these disparities, and how they impact their patients and communities, Dr. Rehmus said.  Individually, dermatologists interested in this work can begin by building relationships with those who are already working to address inequities. She suggests advancing existing efforts through providing financial support, time, and attention.

“No one person can solve the problem of health inequities and health disparities. These are large complex problems that will require systemic change. However, everyone can have a positive impact and collectively we can effect change,” she said. “We, as dermatologists, are in a unique position to raise awareness of the challenges our patients face and to advocate for innovative ways to address these challenges.”

Visit AAD DermWorld Meeting News Central for more articles.

Interesting Stories
Prurigo Nodularis and Atopic Dermatitis:
Presented by Sanofi and Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Prurigo Nodularis and Atopic Dermatitis:
Janssen-Sponsored Symposium
Presented by Janssen Biotech, Inc.
Janssen-Sponsored Symposium
What makes a biosimilar and an Interchangeable biosimilar different?
Presented by Boehringer Ingelheim
What makes a biosimilar and an Interchangeable biosimilar different?
Residents and Young Physicians: Your Guide to the AAD Annual Meeting
Presented by Neutrogena
Residents and Young Physicians: Your Guide to the AAD Annual Meeting
Join Us to Learn More About SOTYKTU<sup>TM</sup> (deucravacitinib):
Presented by Bristol Myers Squibb
Join Us to Learn More About SOTYKTUTM (deucravacitinib):
Beyond the Scalp: Deciphering the Complexities of Alopecia Areata...
Presented by Pfizer Inc.
Beyond the Scalp: Deciphering the Complexities of Alopecia Areata...
Advancing Therapeutic Conversations
Presented by AbbVie
Advancing Therapeutic Conversations
More in 2022 AAD Innovation Academy
Keira L. Barr, MD, FAAD
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
Unlocking the secrets of mind-body therapy
Jul 29, 2022
Robert T. Brodell, MD, FAAD
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
Fox Lecture: Access belongs to everyone
Jul 29, 2022
Img 9508
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
AAD debuts Innovation Academy in Vancouver
Jul 29, 2022
Edit Olasz Harken, MD, PhD, FAAD
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
Your name can be your skin care brand
Jul 29, 2022
Pearl E. Grimes, MD, FAAD
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
Kelly Lectureship traces advances in pigmentary diseases
Jul 29, 2022
Pearl Grimes, MD, FAAD, and Robert T. Brodell, MD, FAAD, FRCP
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
Saturday’s named lectureships take the stage
Jul 23, 2022
Jason B. Lee, MD, FAAD
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
How are your diagnostic skills?
Jul 23, 2022
Lindsay Strowd, MD, FAAD
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
Consultive dermatology plugs in post pandemic
Jul 23, 2022
Mehdi Rashighi, MD, FAAD
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
Game-changing new treatments evolve for dermatologic conditions
Jul 23, 2022
Carolyn Goh, MD, FAAD
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
New approaches to managing hair disorders
Jul 23, 2022
So Yeon Paek, MD, FAAD
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
Laser focused
Jul 22, 2022
Brett A. King, MD, PhD, FAAD
2022 AAD Innovation Academy
JAK inhibitors revolutionize dermatology
Jul 22, 2022
AAD
Facebook iconInstagram iconTwitter icon
© Ascend Media All rights reserved. DermWorld Meeting News Central is a publication of the American Academy of Dermatology.