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- Title
Respiratory health equality in the United States. The American thoracic society perspective.
- Authors
Celedón, Juan C; Roman, Jesse; Schraufnagel, Dean E; Thomas, Alvin; Samet, Jonathan
- Abstract
Because the frequency of major risk factors for respiratory diseases (e.g., tobacco use) differs across demographic groups (defined by socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, health care access, occupation, or other characteristics), health disparities are commonly encountered in pediatric and adult pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. As part of its policy on respiratory health disparities, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) Executive Committee created a Health Equality Subcommittee of the Health Policy Committee, with an initial mandate of defining respiratory health equality and, as a subsequent task, providing recommendations to the ATS leadership as to how our society may help attain such equality in the United States. After receiving input from the ATS assemblies and committees, the subcommittee developed this document on respiratory health equality. This document defines respiratory health disparities and respiratory health equality, and expands on a recent ATS and European Respiratory Society policy statement on disparities in respiratory health. Attainment of respiratory health equality requires the ending of respiratory health disparities, which can be achieved only through multidisciplinary efforts to eliminate detrimental environmental exposures while promoting a healthy lifestyle, implementing all components of high-quality health care (prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment), and conducting research that will lead to better prevention and management of respiratory diseases for everyone. The ATS recognizes that such efforts must include all stakeholders: members of society at large, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and other professional societies. The ATS urges all of its members and those of sister societies to work to achieve this laudable goal.
- Subjects
UNITED States; STATISTICS on minorities; HIV infection epidemiology; AIR pollution; ASTHMA; CYSTIC fibrosis; ETHNIC groups; HEALTH services accessibility; INTERNAL medicine; OBSTRUCTIVE lung diseases; LUNG tumors; HEALTH policy; MEDICAL societies; OBESITY; PASSIVE smoking; POVERTY; RESEARCH funding; RESPIRATORY diseases; SLEEP apnea syndromes; SMOKING; SOCIAL classes; HEALTH equity
- Publication
Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 2014, Vol 11, Issue 4, p473
- ISSN
2329-6933
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1513/AnnalsATS.201402-059PS