Open AccessBridge the Gap: Reducing Inequity in Hospital Readmissions for African American Patients with Heart Failure Through Quality Improvement Initiatives
Author(s) -
Carolina Ornelas,
Raj P. Fadadu,
Morrise A. Richardson,
Omonivie H. Agboghidi,
Jonathan Davis
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
health equity
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.826
H-Index - 9
ISSN - 2473-1242
DOI - 10.1089/heq.2020.0082
Subject(s) - equity (law) , health equity , quality management , medicine , health care , quality (philosophy) , bridge (graph theory) , heart failure , safety net , root cause , business , family medicine , nursing , environmental health , political science , public health , operations management , engineering , economic growth , marketing , surgery , economics , cardiology , philosophy , epistemology , law , service (business)
Purpose: Heart failure (HF) disproportionately impacts African Americans. We evaluated existing quality improvement (QI) initiatives and patient and provider perceptions of barriers to HF care to develop equity-centered QI recommendations. Methods: We performed a literature review, interviewed providers and patients ( N =11), and conducted a root cause analysis at a safety net hospital in San Francisco, California. Results: We have identified four elements to foster a more equitable HF care model: screening for social determinants of health, technological innovation, optimization of space, and implicit bias training. Conclusion: QI initiatives for HF should integrate health equity elements in their design and implementation.