PM2099: A Novel Health Equity Curriculum

Background: Health equity curriculum is needed to give pediatricians a vocabulary to understand and describe structural racism, implicit biases, and health inequities; to present key literature on drivers and effects of inequity in the medical system; to aid in identification and amelioration of individual implicit biases within medical practice; and to demonstrate best practices for intervening on health inequities.

Our group of neonatal attendings and trainees created a novel health equity conference series for the postpartum and neonatal population. This local conference has been translated into a written case series to be used as an educational tool on the national level.

Methods: Each installment begins with examination of a real-life case where patient care suffered as a result of interpersonal and/or structural racism. Relevant historical and contemporary forces leading to this disparate outcome are discussed. Along the way, participants are encouraged to reflect on their personal biases and behaviors. Cases end with questions for discussion and ideas for next steps, at the individual, team, and institutional level. Topics explored include: substance use, care of LGBTQ+ families, involvement in the child welfare system, police involvement and security in infant care, and maternal mental health, among others.

While our team has begun with adapting cases from our institution into the written format, we plan to work with guest authors from other institutions (trainees or early career faculty looking to further a career in health equity) to help craft their cases within the format of the series. They will be paired with content experts in the field to refine case objectives and provide feedback. In so doing, we intend to champion the work and contribution of leaders in neonatology, particularly people of color and early career academic faculty, and promote interinstitutional mentorship in health equity.

Because the interactive format invites discussion and reflection, the published series can be used for presentations, journal clubs, and health equity simulations at other institutions.

Results: This case series was accepted for publication in a high impact neonatology journal (Neoreviews published by the American Academy of Pediatrics), which allows for national impact. We believe this novel approach creates a platform for sharing best practices, confronting personal biases, inspiring and equipping others to dismantle health inequities, and serving as a model for this type of learning.

Conclusion: We created an inventive case series to address health equity within our institution and have expanded our reach by pursuing publication in a high impact journal. This initiative will champion health equity education, create opportunities for career advancement and recognition for those doing this important work, and help the field of neonatology move towards achieving health equity at a national level.