Resumen de Disparities in Thyro id Care

Debbie W Chen, Michael W. Yeh.

• Disparities exist in the diagnosis and treatment of malignant and benign thyroid disease, with racial and ethnic minorities experiencing worse clinical outcomes. Racial and ethnic minorities with thyroid cancer present with more advanced disease and experience more surgical complications, likely a result of care delivered by lower-volume surgeons. Black patients with Graves disease are more likely to receive surgical treatment, and have worse surgical outcomes compared with their White counterparts.

  Ethnic differences exist in the treatment of hypothyroidism, with Hispanic ethnicity associated with undertreatment compared with non-Hispanic Whites. Inequities in thyroid care are due to the complex interplay of systems-, physician-, and patient-level factors. Thus, innovative multilevel interventions are necessary to address racial disparities and ultimately to achieve more equitable care for all patients with thyroid disease.