Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Health Care
Patient Safety and Quality
AMA PRA Category 1 Credits 1.25
CAMPEP Credits: 1.25
MDCB Credits: 1.25
Lin Zhu, MD, PhD
Harvard Radiation Oncology Program
Boston, MA
Colin Hill, MD
New York University Langone Medical Center
New York, NY
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, hearing loss affects one in eight Americans, including nearly half of those over age 75. Hearing loss may be congenital in nature, or may develop later in life due to aging, disease processes affecting the auditory pathway, as an iatrogenic result of ototoxic therapy, among others. Patients and providers with hearing loss or deafness comprise a heterogeneous group, consisting of several different sub-populations, facing different barriers, and having different needs, preferences, cultures and senses of identity. Despite the prevalence of hearing loss or deafness, there is a significant unmet need to improve accessibility in the health care system for both patients and health care professionals with diverse communication needs. From a patient perspective, navigating a system centered in spoken English can compromise patient safety, lead to inequitable care and decrease patient satisfaction. For physicians and other health care professionals, the lack of an inclusive and accessible environment can present barriers to clinical practice and can affect both training and professional advancement. In this session, attendees will first hear a patient perspective on the impact of addressing diverse communication needs and preferences on improving the patient experience. Participants will then learn about recent advances in hearing research and will develop an understanding of how they can better support patients, trainees and providers with diverse communication needs.
Speaker: Lin Zhu, MD, PhD – Harvard Radiation Oncology Program
Speaker: Colin Hill, MD – New York University Langone Medical Center
Speaker: Corey Axelrod
Speaker: Lin Zhu, MD, PhD – Harvard Radiation Oncology Program
Speaker: Qian Wang, MD – Case Western Reserve University
Speaker: Michelle Ludwig, MD, PhD, MPH – Baylor College of Medicine
Speaker: Hansel Bauman
Speaker: Colin Hill, MD – New York University Langone Medical Center