The Brigham and Women’s Hospital Center for Surgery and Public Health Presents:
Disparities in Surgical Care: Access to Outcomes
Friday, May 18, 2007
Keynote Speaker:Paul E. Farmer, M.D., Ph.D.
Description: The average American undergoes more than nine operations over the course of his or her lifetime. To date, attention has been focused on documenting disparities in surgical care, but few attempts have been made to systematically study and understand the complex determinants of these disparities or to develop strategies to eliminate them. With the growing focus on patient safety and quality, the issue of disparities in surgical care is critical as it reflects a significant defect in the overall quality of care. If we are to eliminate disparities in surgical care we need a concrete set of strategic solutions for the medical and scientific communities as well as policy makers.
Given the complexity of the issue, this course presents a multi-pronged approach to the elimination of surgical disparities in care from access to outcomes. In a unique manner, this course brings together surgeons, anesthesiologists, other clinicians and health services researchers to develop approaches that go from research to practice. The synergy of population-based research and clinical practice will allow the surgical healthcare team to implement cahnges to understand and eliminate surgical disparities. Participants will learn that surgical outcomes are affected by factors including race/ethnicity, insurance coverage, systems of care and patient-provider interactions. By recognizing these complex relationships, local and national approaches for data collection and strategies to address disparities may be developed.
The problem of access to surgical services and the resultant deficiences in outcomes is not just a problem nationally in both urban and rural settings, but also a global problem. The global need for surgery worldwide and how to meet those needs will also be addressed.
Event Directors:Selwyn O. Rogers, Jr., M.D., M.P.H., Stanley W. Ashley, M.D., John Z. Ayanian, M.D., M.P.P., Michael S. Conte, M.D., Atul A. Gawande, M.D., M.P.H., Michael J. Zinner, M.D.
Location:Sheraton Hotel, Boston, 39 Dalton Street, Boston, MA
Registration:Click Here