ADA National Network Learning Session: Health Care Disparities for People with Disabilities and Potential Role of Physician Bias

This presentation will review the evidence for health care disparities affecting people with disabilities. It will then introduce a recent nationwide survey of physicians from 7 specialties about their experiences with and perceptions of caring for patients with disabilities. The results presentation will focus on physicians' perceptions of people with disabilities, their confidence about providing equal care to these patients, and whether they welcome patients with disabilities into their practices. The survey results raise questions about whether biased attitudes among physicians might contribute to health care disparities for people with disabilities.

Learning objectives:

• Understand the evidence base suggesting health care disparities for people with disabilities
• Assess the potential role that biased attitudes among physicians about people with disabilities might play in these disparities

Presenters:

Lisa I. Iezzoni, MD, MSc is a Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and based at the Health Policy Research Center, Mongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Iezzoni has conducted numerous studies examining health care disparities for persons with disability. Her first disability-related book, When Walking Fails, was published in 2003; her most recent book, Making Their Day Happen: Paid Personal Assistances Services Supporting People with Disability Living in Their Homes and Communities, will appear in 2021. Dr. Iezzoni is a member of the National Academy of Medicine in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.