Bringing Health Care Equity to Diverse and Underserved Populations in Sleep Medicine and Research Through a Digital Health Equity Framework

Judite Blanc; Kaitlyn Hahn; Bruno Oliveira; Ro'Mya Phillips; Lunthita M Duthely; Laura Francois; Mary Carrasco; Jesse Moore; Candice A Sternberg; Girardin Jean-Louis; Azizi A Seixas

doi:10.1016/j.jsmc.2023.05.009

Bringing Health Care Equity to Diverse and Underserved Populations in Sleep Medicine and Research Through a Digital Health Equity Framework

Sleep Med Clin. 2023 Sep;18(3):255-267. doi: 10.1016/j.jsmc.2023.05.009. Epub 2023 Jun 6.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences (TSCS), Clinical Research Building, 14th Floor 1120 Northwest 14th Street, Room 1448, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
² Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
³ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, 1120 Northwest 14th Street, 14th Floor, Suite 1451A, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
⁴ Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA.
⁵ Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Don Soffer Clinical Research Center 1162.
⁶ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Department of Informatics and Health Data Science, The Media and Innovation Lab, 1120 Northwest 14th Street, Room 1452, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
⁷ Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Clinical Research Building, 1120 Northwest 14th Street #858, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
⁸ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, CRB, Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences (TSCS), 14th Floor 1120 Northwest 14th Street, Room 1449, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
⁹ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Center for Translational Sleep and Circadian Sciences (TSCS), Clinical Research Building, 14th Floor 1120 Northwest 14th Street, Room 1448, Miami, FL 33136, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Department of Informatics and Health Data Science, The Media and Innovation Lab, 1120 Northwest 14th Street, Room 1452, Miami, FL 33136, USA. Electronic address: azizi.seixas@med.miami.edu.

Abstract

Individuals from minoritized groups are less likely to receive sleep medicine care and be the focus of sleep research. Several barriers may explain under-representation and low participation. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighted a digital divide that exacerbated disproportionate sleep health outcomes and access to sleep medicine and research opportunities among minoritized groups. The authors' team developed a digital health equity and inclusion model and revamped its culturally-tailored community outreach program to advance sleep health equity among minoritized groups. This article describes how the authors implemented their digital sleep health equity and inclusion model during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: Digital health; Equity; Population health; Sleep health.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

COVID-19* / epidemiology
Health Equity*
Humans
Pandemics
Vulnerable Populations

Grants and funding

R25 DA028567/DA/NIDA NIH HHS/United States