Peer Medical Foundation

Health literacy is a cornerstone of health equity. Learn how prioritizing health literacy at the organizational level can bridge gaps and create more inclusive healthcare systems. Understanding and addressing the unique needs of all patients ensures everyone has access to quality care. J. Nwando Olayiwola, MD, MPH, FAAFP (she/her), Ene Anteyi, Faith Obanua, MS, PMP, Andy Rollins, PMP, Laura Baustien, MHA, Tamara Smith, Stephanie Franklin, and Candy Magaña identify key steps to implementing an organizational health literacy strategy via Health Affairs. https://lnkd.in/eQSEdM6m #HealthLiteracy #HealthEquity #PatientAdvocacy

Dear Friends of the Peer Medical Foundation, Join us online, on September 22, 2024, as we delve deeper into the second part of our eye-opening event series discussing the impact of Islamophobia in the medical field.

Dear Friends of the Peer Medical Foundation, Anti-Muslim bias in healthcare settings can appear in several ways, affecting both patients and healthcare providers. Islamophobia in medicine refers to the prejudice, discrimination, and systemic biases against Muslim patients and healthcare professionals within medical institutions and practices. It encompasses a range of negative attitudes, behaviors, and institutional practices that specifically target or disadvantage individuals based on their Muslim identity, whether real or perceived. This form of discrimination can have significant implications for patient care, professional development, and the overall inclusivity of healthcare environments. Swipe to learn more about how anti-muslim bias appears in healthcare settings. #PeerMedicalFoundation #peermedfoundation #peermedpodcast #Islamophobia #islamophobiaincanada #islamophobiainmedicine #islam #Muslimpatients #Muslims

Policies that explicitly address systemic racism are not only just, but have the potential to improve the health and well-being of people of color. A new study published in JAMA adds to the growing body of research on how persistent, systemic, normalized racism can cause damage to the body’s stress management systems and actually fast forward biological aging. The study found that experiencing racial discrimination may be correlated with a higher risk of stress-related disorders and neurodegenerative diseases, specifically for Black women. This is why policymakers must support policies and programs that advance equity in housing, education, healthcare and more. It’s a matter of both health and justice. https://lnkd.in/esuwiU9n

“You’re just moving that experiment to the real world, with many more women exposed and very little surveillance.” Kate Womersley, Research Fellow at The George Institute, shares with the Financial Times' Sarah Neville how underrepresentation of women in medical research endangers female patients, and how our MESSAGE project is helping to close the sex and gender gap. Read here: https://bit.ly/3YuJfBZ

This announcement is long overdue. The American Medical Association has adopted a new policy to create equity in clinical trials and research. This move aims to ensure diverse representation and improve health outcomes for all. Read more about this groundbreaking policy and its impact here: https://lnkd.in/gVdadb_6 #AMA #ClinicalTrials #HealthEquity

Are you interested in teamwork, advocacy, writing, and research? The Peer Medical Foundation is looking for Volunteer Research Assistants for the upcoming Fall 2024 term. In this role, you will be volunteering your time, effort, and skills to research the intersectionality of medicine with topics from social science and the humanities, such as disability, feminism, race, and so on. Working with a team of fellow Volunteer Research Assistants, you will work together to produce an undergraduate-level research paper. The role will last for one term, approximately 12-14 weeks. You will be required to commit 15-20 hours per week. Please send your CV and cover letter (up to one page, skipping lines) to [email protected].

Has the Disability Pride Flag been added to the emoji keyboard yet? The short answer is no. And while it might seem like a trivial thing compared to the massive barriers disabled people face each and every day, across all aspects of society, I think it’s important. It would be an acknowledgement of our community. It would normalise and embed our flag (and more broadly Disability Pride as a movement) into the mainstream. And it would just give a bit of representation to a community who, far too often, are left out of conversations. Ultimately, the people that would need to be convinced are the Unicode Consortium (the ultimate creators of our standard emojis!). Something that we are actively working towards. But for a proposal to Unicode to be successful, there would need to be ‘evidence of frequency’ across Google Search results, books and all forms of content. In other words, we need to showcase just how prevalent #DisabilityPride has become as a movement. So, how can you help? Please continue to search about, write about, create content and (pardon the pun) “fly the flag” for Disability Pride. Beyond raising much-needed awareness, engaging with #DisabilityPride this month and throughout the year, is essential to embedding disability representation and inclusion into the mainstream. #DisabilityPrideFlag #DemandTheChange #RepresentationMatters Unicode Consortium Apple Microsoft #Accessibility Image description: A blue background is filled with emoji flags. In the centre of the image, in a text box, is the Disability Pride Flag as the text reads: It’s time to add the Disability Pride Flag to the Emoji keyboard. #RepresentationMatters'

Today is the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (#ADA), the landmark civil rights legislation that laid the foundation for a more accessible society, which we are still fighting for today. Let this be a reminder that people with #disabilities have always been loud, powerful advocates for change! From the Orphan Drug Act to the ADA to today's movement for inclusive and equal opportunities at work and in public life, people with disabilities are the drivers of our own change. #TogetherWeAreStrong

An increasing number of researchers have been focusing their work on investigating the roles that anti-Black racism and racial discrimination play in driving health and health care inequities. However, much of this research continues to treat Black populations as a homogenous group, ignoring their diverse social positions and experiences. This can lead to overgeneralized findings that fail to recognize nuanced intersections with anti-Black racism that drive inequities in health and health care. To learn more, take a look at this commentary that I recently published, inspired by my doctoral research! The co-authors and I reflect on why acknowledging the within-group diversity of Canada’s Black population is crucial in promoting health care interventions aimed at addressing anti-Black racism that are actually effective. Full text available here: https://lnkd.in/gBrtfw7h.