Birth doulas, who support pregnant women during the perinatal period, have positive impacts on pregnancy and birth outcomes, particularly among underserved populations. However, health workforce-related barriers challenge the development of robust doula services in the United States. This article examines various approaches to train, recruit, and employ doulas, as well as what system-level changes are…
The Indian Health Service (IHS) provides federal healthcare that his specific to the American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) population. Because the vast majority of AI/ANs do not belong to federally recognized tribes and other factors limiting the accessibility of IHS services, a better understanding of how AI/ANs obtain healthcare outside the IHS is needed. This brief…
Research has shown evidence of doulas’ positive impacts on maternal health outcomes, particularly among underserved populations. Such research supports expanding access to doula services. However, health workforce-related barriers challenge the development of robust doula services in the US. This article published in the Journal of Perinatal Education investigates organizations’ barriers regarding training, recruitment, and employment of doulas….
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Obama Administration created the federal Health Insurance Navigator Program, which seeks to reduce the rate of uninsured in the United States. Under this program, navigators help people procure insurance coverage through federally facilitated Marketplaces (or Exchanges). During COVID-19, financial insecurity and substantial budget cuts created increased shortages and…
Health researchers view social determinants of health as one of the underlying causes of health inequities in the United States. There has been an increasing demand for health professionals to become more educated about the role of social determinants of health—one strategy that addresses this is experiential education programs as part of health professions training….
Community-based doulas provide essential services and expertise which address inequities and systemic gaps in perinatal care. However, as they work to improve perinatal health, doulas themselves are providing equity work amidst an inequitable system and with insufficient political or financial support. Increased compensation and systemic support which acknowledges the breadth of services provided are needed…
It is well known that Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) as well as people with disabilities experience discrimination and bias in the health care services they receive. Few studies have examined such inequities in healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic, where pandemic-related restrictions and policies compounded existing inequitable care for these populations. This article…
The health informatics workforce plays a critical role in improving patient health by leveraging big data and harnessing the power of machine learning and AI, among other tools. Many healthcare workers are currently interacting with health information technology with varying levels of intensity. This rapid response brief provides an overview of the complex and evolving…
Health care providers’ lack of knowledge about the experiences and needs of individuals with disabilities contributes to health care disparities in the disabled population. In 2019, the Alliance for Disability for Health Care Education published Core Competencies on Disability for Health Care Education (Core Competencies) to promote the integration of disability-related content and experiences into…
The use of telehealth skyrocketed during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, due to greatly limited in-person health care clinic visits, including those for primary care. Yet patients needed a way to access primary care services, whether to continue their ongoing care or address physical and behavioral health conditions that were caused or exacerbated…
