Disparities in Endocrine Surgery Care

Surgical disparities are differences in the care received by groups of patients unrelated to preferences or needs for treatment. An ample body of literature demonstrates disparities in endocrine surgical care with notably worse outcomes for patients belonging to historically marginalized racial or ethnic groups. Disparities result from differences along the trajectory of a patient’s pre-operative, intra-operative, and post-operative care. In this chapter, we describe several interconnected factors that contribute to disparities with evidence from the endocrine surgery literature. We conclude with steps that students can take to improve equity for patients with endocrine conditions.