Two doctors who are also Case Western Reserve University professors will join a group of health professionals and academics at an upcoming summit on ending racial and gender disparities in joint health.
Richard Grant, an orthopedic surgeon, and Carla Harwell, a primary care physician, will attend the summit, called “Movement is Life: A National Dialogue on Arthritis, Musculoskeletal Health Disparities and the Health Of The Nation.”
Severe joint pain, activity limitation and work limitation due to arthritis are significantly higher among African-Americans and Latinos, even though those groups are less likely to report their medical conditions, according to a statement from the summit’s organizers.
“Early intervention is key because if patients allow the disease to progress untreated, it can lead them on a path to disability,” said Grant, chair for diversity at Case’s School of Medicine. “That’s why this summit is so important. We must encourage conversations about joint pain not only between patients and their doctors, but all stakeholders responsible for the health of this nation.”
More than 20 percent of U.S. adults report having doctor-diagnosed arthritis, according to data cited by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The summit is scheduled for Sept. 20 and 21 in Bethesda, Maryland.
