Disparities in Thyroid Care

Debbie W Chen; Michael W Yeh

doi:10.1016/j.ecl.2021.11.017

Disparities in Thyroid Care

Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2022 Jun;51(2):229-241. doi: 10.1016/j.ecl.2021.11.017. Epub 2022 May 4.

Authors

Debbie W Chen¹, Michael W Yeh²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, University of Michigan, 24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive, PO Box 451, Ann Arbor, MI 48106, USA. Electronic address: chendeb@med.umich.edu.
² Section of Endocrine Surgery, UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, 10833 Le Conte Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.

Abstract

Thyroid disease affects an estimated 20 million Americans, with 1 in 8 women developing a thyroid disorder during her lifetime. Although most patients with thyroid cancer have a good prognosis and effective treatments for benign thyroid disease are available, disparities exist in thyroid care and result in worse outcomes for racial and ethnic minorities. Inequities in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid disease are due to the complex interplay of systems-, physician-, and patient-level factors. Thus, innovative strategies that take an ecological approach to addressing racial disparities are needed to achieve equitable care for all patients with thyroid disease.

Keywords: Graves disease; Health care disparity; Hypothyroidism; Minority groups; Thyroid cancer; Thyroid disease.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Black or African American*
Female
Humans
Thyroid Neoplasms* / diagnosis
Thyroid Neoplasms* / therapy
United States

Grants and funding

T32 DK007245/DK/NIDDK NIH HHS/United States