Health Care Disparities in Congenital Cardiology: Considerations Through the Lens of an Interventional Cardiologist

Abstract

When resources in a society are dispersed unevenly, generally through allocation standards, distinct patterns emerge along lines of socially defined categories of people. Power, religion, kinship, prestige, race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, and class all play a role in determining who has access to social goods in society. In most cases, social inequality refers to a lack of equality of outcome, but it can also refer to a lack of equality of access to opportunity. Unfortunately, health care is not immune to these social disparities and/or inequalities. These health care disparities in interventional cardiology were recently brought to the forefront by the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) as a major focus of 2020-2021. In a recent publication, unique factors leading to disparities were reported to exist among the subsections of interventional cardiology. The congenital heart disease council of SCAI created a task force to further investigate the unique challenges and disparities impacting the practice of congenital heart disease and pediatric cardiology.

Keywords: congenital heart disease; congenital interventional cardiology; disparities; diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Graphical abstract

Figure 1

Comparison of the advantaged versus disadvantaged groups. CHD, congenital heart disease; US FDA, United States Food and Drug Administration.

Central Illustration

Complexities and factors of disparities in the congenital interventional population. Several factors contribute to disparities in interventional congenital heart disease. Each factor is unique and complex but lead to disparities in care of disadvantaged populations.