New commission on health-care disparities lauded by American College of Physicians

ACP calls elimination of disparities a 'strategic priority' for the organization

Washington (Feb. 29) – Noting that its Board of Regents last month added “health care disparities” as one of its strategic priorities, the American College of Physicians (ACP) today commended the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for launching the Commission to Build a Healthier America.

“The American College of Physicians continues to realize the importance of eliminating health care disparities through its Board actions, policy papers, educational sessions, as well as the work of the ACP Foundation,” said David C. Dale, MD, FACP, president of ACP. “ACP believes that the Commission to Build a Healthier America will provide a much-needed framework for a broad national effort to research the reasons behind health care disparities and to develop workable solutions.”

The national, independent and nonpartisan two-year health commission introduced on Thursday will focus on factors outside the health care system and identify non-medical, evidence-based strategies to improve the health of all Americans. The group will investigate how factors, such as education, environment, income and housing, shape and affect personal behavioral choices through an extensive inquiry that will include field hearings.

ACP is addressing health care disparities in its public policy, research and educational initiatives.

In a 2003 position paper, Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care http://www.acponline.org/ppvl/policies/e000904.pdf , ACP emphasized its long-standing commitment to improving public health. In the paper, ACP said that “Eliminating health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities will take the efforts of all involved in the practice of health care delivery. ACP sees the need to address these disparities on six fronts: increasing access to quality health care, patient care, provider issues, systems that deliver health care, societal concerns, and continued research.”

ACP is also working to reduce barriers created by limited language proficiency. Fifty-two million people, 19.4 percent of the U.S. population, speak a language other than English at home. Of these, 44.6 percent speak English “less than very well.” Estimates of the number of people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) range from 11 million to 21 million people. To determine whether internal medicine practices of ACP members provide language services and to better ensure effective communication for LEP patients, the College conducted a survey of its members during late 2006.

The survey findings and interpretations resulted in a 2007 College position paper, Language Services for Patients with Limited English Proficiency: Results of a National Survey of Internal Medicine Physicians http://www.acponline.org/ppvl/policies/e001183.pdf