Despite the ever-growing population of Latinos in the United States, only a very small percentage participate in clinical trials. Clinical trials are studies with volunteers that help researchers learn how to slow, manage, and treat different diseases. “[Fewer] Latinos in clinical trials makes it hard for researchers to develop new treatments for this group, which suffers a heavy burden of cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases,” said Dr. Amelie Ramirez, director of the Salud America! program at UT Health San Antonio. Do you know what happens in a clinical trial? How can clinical trial help you and your friends, family, and community? Why is Latino participation in clinical trials important? Get answers and helpful resources in new bilingual videos from ...
Latinos are uninsured more than two times the rate of their white peers. Given that Latinos are projected to grow to 29% of the population by 2050, this lack of healthcare coverage, including Medicaid, will continue to endanger the health of many more individuals, families, and the healthcare system. We’re raising awareness of the Latino healthcare crisis, its impact on Latino communities, and how you can help Latinos gain health insurance coverage.
How Many Latinos Lack Health Insurance?
Despite the benefits of health insurance, people from overlooked populations, low-income families, and other vulnerable groups unfortunately lack health insurance coverage in the US. Latinos are especially uninsured. A 2022 Census Bureau report found that Latinos had the highest uninsured ...
Update: Sanfori, the third major insulin drug maker, announced it will cap the out-of-pocket cost of Lantus, the company's most popular insulin, at $35 per month for people with private insurance. Sanfori will implement this change Jan. 1, 2024. Diabetes affects millions of Americans, especially Latinos. But the cost of insulin medications to manage the disease are unaffordable. Fortunately, recent strides have helped lower the cost of insulin medications, bringing financial relief to many households, and potentially saving lives. In honor of American Diabetes Alert Day on March 28, we’re highlighting these significant strides and discussing what lowered drug costs could mean for Latinos and all diabetes patients.
How Much Does Insulin Cost in the US?
In recent years, the ...
Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez of UT Health San Antonio is launching the new ACS Avanzando Center thanks to a 4-year, $4.08-million grant from the American Cancer Society (ACS). The ACS Avanzando Center, which began work in February 2023, is a response to the severe cancer burden in South Texas. The center will unite South Texas research scholars and the community to improve health across the cancer care continuum by targeting the non-medical drivers of health that prevent people from obtaining equitable care. “Our new center will conduct a unique combination of community-engaged research, training, patient assessment, and promotion to address the non-medical drivers of health, such as financial strain and food insecurity, to improve access to cancer care, prevention, early detection, ...
Latino and Black patients on dialysis have higher rates of staph bloodstream infections, according to a new CDC report. Dialysis is a treatment for people whose kidneys are failing. “More than half of people in the U.S. receiving dialysis [are non-White] —about 1 in every 3 people receiving dialysis is Black and 1 in every 5 is Hispanic,” according to the CDC. Latino dialysis patients alone had a 40% higher risk of staph bloodstream infections than White patients on dialysis between 2017 and 2020. Let’s further explore the health differences that impact dialysis patients.
Risks of Dialysis Treatment
While dialysis treatments are necessary and could ultimately save the life of patients with end-stage kidney disease, it does come with risks. Germs such as staph can ...
As more healthcare systems start to screen patients for non-medical drivers of health (NMDoH), we at Salud America! at UT Health San Antonio are spotlighting why screening for NMDoH is so important to improve health outcomes for all people, including Latinos. Today, we are sharing three NMDoH screening tools that can help address NMDoH-related needs, or the non-medical challenges to health, of all patients. You can use these screening tools – questionnaires that gather information from patients – in your healthcare facility or use them as inspiration to create your own screening tool. Let’s dive into these health-changing tools!
The Protocol for Responding to and Assessing Patients’ Assets, Risks, and Experiences (PRAPARE®)
PRAPARE® helps health centers and other ...
In a modest house in Los Angeles, California, a young girl buried her nose in a book. She focused on the book’s colorful graphics of doctors helping sick patients. Closing her eyes, she pictured herself in this role. Her mother’s words echoed in her mind, “Education is the key to opening doors in life.” The young girl wasn’t sure how, but she decided she was going to go to medical school, and she was going to become a doctor. Decades later, the young girl — now a grown woman – has a successful career in medicine. Dr. Marlene Martin is an associate professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a hospitalist at San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH). In these roles, Marlene combines her passion for clinical care ...
Have you ever had a conversation with a doctor that left you feeling confused? These situations can be frustrating, especially when it hurts your health. Unfortunately, poor doctor-patient communication is common, even though doctors acknowledge they should avoid medical jargon when talking with patients. In a new study in JAMA Network Open, researchers surveyed 215 adults and found that when medical jargon was used by physicians, participants frequently misunderstood and often interpreted the exact opposite of what the physician intended. This confusion can lead to adverse health outcomes, according to the study. "You could be the smartest doctor in the world, yet you're useless if your patients don't understand what you are saying," Dr. Michael Pitt, study author and ...
This is part of the "Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos: 2022 Conference Proceedings," which summarizes findings and discussions of the 2022 Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos Conference on Feb. 23-25, 2022, in San Antonio, Texas.
Conclusion
To eliminate cancer differences in Latino populations, Advancing the Science of Cancer in Latinos brought together researchers, scientists, physicians, healthcare professionals, patient advocates, and students from across the US and Latin America. These presenters shared research advancements, identified gaps, developed actionable goals, updated clinical best practices, described effective community interventions, and detailed professional training programs aimed at addressing differences. In the process, most of the speakers made ...
