The Role of Social Determinants of Health in Respiratory Care Disparities

AJMC September 9, 2024
Pearl Steinzor

Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, MS, professor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and director of the Clinical Research Center at Boston Children’s Hospital, discusses some of the most significant health disparities impacting respiratory care.

Social determinants of health, such as environmental factors and socioeconomic status, play a key role in exacerbating health disparities within respiratory care, says Wanda Phipatanakul, MD, MS, professor of pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, director of the Clinical Research Center, Boston Children’s Hospital.

This transcript has been lightly edited for clarity.

Transcript

What are some of the biggest health disparities that need to be addressed within respiratory care?

So that’s a great question. There are a lot of health disparities, particularly in underserved populations. A lot of the...