Health equity has long been a challenge, but in 2022 it promises to be a top-of-mind issue. The COVID pandemic has made it clear that health inequity has a broad impact not only on public health, but on the financial well-being of entire communities. It’s time we listen to health equity advocates and turn words into actions in 2022.
Also, in case you missed them, be sure to check out all our Health IT Predictions.
Health Equity Defined
The WHO defines health equity as: “the absence of unfair and avoidable or remediable differences in health among population groups defined socially, economically, demographically or geographically.”
Based on this definition, addressing health equity means dealing with many economic, social, and cultural issues. Put simply, it is a multifaceted problem with no silver bullet.
We are in this together
The global COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare how interconnected we are.
We have seen how unequal distribution of vaccines globally can lead to the formation of new virus mutations which spread quickly and negatively impact countries with high vaccination rates. We have also seen how factories that have to be shut down in foreign countries due to COVID has an impact on the price of goods in our local stores…if the item you want is even available.
At a local level, we have seen how unequal access to healthcare impacts absenteeism. The Omicron variant is causing swaths of people to be home sick, including teachers. In some communities, so many teachers are out, elementary and high schools are understaffed which is having an impact on the quality of education students are receiving.
We are finally waking up to what advocates have been saying for years…that health equity is not “their problem”, it’s “our problem”. What happens to one of us in terms of health (or more accurately lack of health), can impact all of us.
Predictions for 2022
I am encouraged and excited for health equity in 2022. I am seeing leaders of healthcare organizations, solution providers, patient advocates and even politicians taking action to address the inequities in health / healthcare.
We asked our Healthcare IT Today readers for their predictions on health equity in 2022. Here is a selection of the most interesting responses.
Fittingly, the first prediction comes from patient advocate and caregiver, Erin Moriarty Wade, Content Specialist at myTomorrows:
I think (and hope) there will be a continued push toward offering more healthcare at home from basic telehealth for primary and specialty care to more specialized services, such as home infusion and decentralized clinical trials. Home infusion was a lifesaver for my family (by helping us avoid a 3-day inpatient stay each month for our immunocompromised child and the ensuing burden that would place on our busy family). At-home options can significantly improve the patient and caregiver experience while improving access to care, and I expect to see more of them in 2022.
Abner Mason, Founder and CEO at ConsejoSano is a tireless advocate for health equity and he has a very hopeful outlook for 2022:
I’m confident we’ll advance health equity in 2022. Here’s why: (1) Growing buy-in from stakeholders across healthcare; (2) Grassroots demand and efforts; (3) More tools to address SDOH, increase cultural intelligence; (4) Accreditation; (5) It’s good for business and the people. Legacy institutions began addressing health equity in 2021. So did healthcare execs, researchers & clinicians. Conversation produced some action. We can create the future we want in 2022.
This hope was echoed by Leslie North, CEO of EyeTech Digital Systems:
Improving patient access and health equity will continue to be key drivers in health IT initiatives heading into 2022. My hope is that those efforts will expand to ensure that disabled patient populations get consideration as healthcare providers evaluate medical device and IT solutions at the patient bedside.
Matt Fisher, General Counsel at Carium points out that while the pandemic has exposed inequities, that same spotlight will lead to better digital solutions to address them:
The light from the pandemic will continue to expose inequities across the healthcare system, though disparate abilities to access healthcare services (regardless of other factors) will be a prime issue and focal point. Given the focus on access, digital health solutions that are able to play across multiple circumstances, whether a variety of clinical applications or patient locations, will be the ones that start to separate from the pack. Digital health will become inherently more flexible and nimble, which should be positive long-term.
Monica Simmonds, Director, Advisory Services SDOH LexisNexis Risk Solutions believes more investment will be coming from governments to support health equity solutions:
In 2022, there will be an emphasis on actionable measurement approaches for capturing SDOH/social drivers through assessments and other data sources to support quality measurement efforts. I predict a greater investment from government, private and corporate sources in technical capacity building for partnerships to use SDOH data to support innovative solutions to health equity. Finally, accreditation and credentialing will be explored in health equity as organizations and regulatory bodies work to support standardization.
Continuing with the theme of government…Tom Lemberg, Founder and CEO at Curebase foresees more scrutiny from regulators on diversity in clinical research:
Inequity in access to healthcare continues to plague commercially available care, as well as access to cutting edge clinical research. In the coming year, we will see regulators continue to scrutinize data from studies that do not reflect patient populations in diverse communities. Geography plays a significant role in addressing the challenges associated with access to clinical trials.
Vik Bakhru, Chief Medical Officer at Circulo Health had an interesting take on Medicaid in 2022:
In 2021, I saw substantial increase in investor interest in Medicaid models of care. In 2022, early signs suggest that this increase will become even sharper, particularly for Medicaid-focused, vertically integrated digital health companies. While telemedicine remains a vital resource, the latest data points toward hybrid models of care as a likely area for sustained growth. Businesses that lean into Medicaid and capture that momentum by combining virtual and in-person services will take flight this year.
From the solution provider side, there seems to be enthusiasm for incorporating new features and design changes to accommodate the needs of a wider array of patients and users. Charles Lee MD, Senior Director, clinical knowledge at FDB had this prediction about multiple language support in 2022:
We are starting to see integrated technology solutions that address the needs of growing diverse populations. For example, automated technology can now translate prescription instructions at pharmacies to multiple languages. Language access regulations in several states are creating a demand from pharmacies for a scalable solution that can accommodate regional language variations; these efforts could become a model for delivering multi-language labels across the country.
Similarly, Scott Andrews, GM of Health Systems at Kyruus made this prediction about digital patient access:
Provider organizations will be focused on simplifying and connecting patient access experiences, with an emphasis on digital channels, in 2022. Demand for digitally-enabled care access will continue to grow, with patients increasingly seeking to discover, select, and schedule care through online, self-service tools. As these expectations for modern digital experiences rise, provider organizations will strive to differentiate themselves through Amazon-like convenience, flexibility, and consumer-centricity.
Bronwyn Spira, Founder and CEO at Force Therapeutics sees Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) as a key way to help bridge the healthcare gap for rural patients:
The geographic disparities of healthcare have never been so evident. It’s not just about access to care, as the pandemic has shown us: there’s a huge divide in health status, behaviors, and the costs and outcomes of care between our rural and urban populations. Episode-based remote care management tools can teach patients how to prepare for and what to expect from surgery, and can encourage the consistent, meaningful engagement in remote physical therapy exercises and education that leads to goal achievement. Best of all, digital care management tools can connect rural patients to their care teams throughout an episode of care, helping to stave off unnecessary trips to urgent care or the ER.
Casey Pittock, CEO at Smart Meter was also on the RPM bandwagon for 2022:
Imagine a world in which any person, regardless of geography or socioeconomic status, can gain access to easy-to-use vital sign monitoring tools that work anywhere, any time. These tools are paid for by insurance, either privately or through government programs, allowing everyone the benefit of personal health data. Remote patient monitoring (RPM) will become a more standard practice for physicians and others across the entire health care ecosystem.
Better coordination of care across multiple organizations and teams is what Mike Dulin MD, Chief Medical Officer at Gray Matter Analytics believes will help address health inequity in 2022:
To achieve equity in healthcare, optimize care delivery, and provision evidence-based interventions, providers and payors must have advanced analytics tools that integrate insights describing the social determinants of health with clinical and claims data. These advanced analytics tools will also be required to coordinate integrated care teams that bring together medical providers with behavioral health specialists, pharmacists, social workers, and care navigators to provide holistic, patient-centered care that addresses medical and social needs.
Finally, the most interesting predictions around health equity came from Anabell Castro Thompson, SVP of Health Equity at Equality Health and Tom Skelton, CEO at Surescripts.
Castro’s thoughtful prediction highlights the important role that primary care providers have in the healthcare ecosystem and how they can impact health equity:
As the cornerstones of healthcare in their communities, primary care providers are uniquely positioned to make an impact in health equity. Empowering primary care providers with a unique cultural curriculum and resources to assess and address social determinants of health advances health equity by equipping provider practices with the competencies and tools needed to meet each patient at their level of health and deliver care that acknowledges the unique physical, behavioral, cultural and socioeconomic needs of the most vulnerable patients.
Skelton’s prediction is something that I had lost sight of during the pandemic – the rising cost of medications and the inequity that it causes. This complex issue is something that he believes will be a topic of discussion in 2022:
More than a quarter of U.S. adults face multiple common chronic conditions, a proportion that’s only growing. Meanwhile, more promising—but pricey—specialty drugs come onto the market each year. Drug manufacturers are expected to launch at least 50 new active substances per year through 2025. Medication cost is something everyone will have to think about in 2022 — whether you’re a care manager with a health plan, a patient managing your budget, or a doctor or pharmacist concerned with how affordability impacts adherence.
If you have a prediction about health equity in 2022, share it with us in the comments.
