This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Texas Medical Association (TMA) through the joint sponsorship of Seton Healthcare Family and The University of Texas at Austin College of Liberal Arts. The Seton Healthcare Family is accredited by the Texas Medical Association to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Seton Healthcare Family designates this live activity for a maximum of 6.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
The session Clinical Best Practices: Improving Care and Reducing Health Disparities has been designated by Seton Healthcare Family for 2.25 credit(s) of education in medical ethics and/or professional responsibility.
Target Audience
Healthcare professionals who treat diverse or disadvantaged patients; medical students and residents; and educators who train medical students and practitioners to work with diverse populations.
Educational Objectives
After participating in this activity, attendees will be able to:
- Define and differentiate between race, ethnicity, and genetic ancestry
- Explain why perceived or self-identified race (or ethnicity) should not be used as a proxy for genotype or genetic ancestry
- Recognize that most racial and ethnic health disparities are due to social or environmental factors, not genetic differences between racial or ethnic groups
- Explain how experiences of racism, poverty, inadequate education, and other social stressors contribute to poor health
- Describe how to apply principles of evidence-based medicine in clinical practice, with diagnosis and treatment decisions based on scientific evidence and the presence or absence of clinically relevant factors for a particular patient (including social, structural, environmental, and genetic factors) — not on racial or ethnic stereotypes
- Recognize the existence of racial/ethnic biases in medicine and their effects on patient care and physician-patient relationships
- Distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate uses of racial and ethnic categories in clinical contexts
- Identify the differences between cultural competency and structural competency
- Describe examples of clinical best practices that can facilitate the elimination of racial/ethnic biases in patient care or help reduce health disparities
- Describe alternative medical education models and effective educational practices for teaching evidence-based medicine and the genetic, social, and structural determinants of health