Phase I: Disparities in Access to Advanced Medical Procedures in the Medicare Population

The op-ed unfairly and dangerously diminishes the value of cancer screening in reducing health disparities. As the writers acknowledge, numerous, complex factors contribute to poorer outcomes for Black patients than for white patients.

AdvaMed is engaged in efforts to ensure our industry is doing its part to mitigate the adverse impacts of health disparities among people and communities of color.

Two important developments just happened on the health equity and diversity front. 

One, the American Heart Association released a ground-breaking study finding women’s cardiovascular health is perhaps more poorly understood than even those of us working in health equity realized. The study also pointed out how women face unique-to-gender threats to their cardiovascular health at key life stages, such as during pregnancy and menopause. For example, the study cites findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that cardiac and coronary conditions are a leading cause of preventable maternal deaths (13 percent).

In the latest episode of Medtech POV, Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association, joins host Scott Whitaker to talk about her journey to leading one of the most influential health care organizations in the world, the 100-year history of the Association, and how medtech innovation has improved health outcomes for millions living with cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, but historically—and even today—women are underrepresented in heart disease research, can be overlooked in the clinical care setting when it comes to cardiovascular care, and too many women in the United States (44%) do not recognize heart disease as their number one killer.

Artificial intelligence has been in the spotlight recently, but it is not a new concept to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or the medtech industry. AI advancements in the medtech industry are playing a major role in improving patients’ lives through innovative care, reduced healthcare costs, and improved patient outcomes.

AdvaMed is dedicated to ensuring our industry focuses their efforts on treating and raising the awareness of women’s health conditions.

The final report of a three-part series investigates the prevalence of racial and ethnic disparities in the use of in the use of advanced interventions in the Medicare program.