Health Care Equity for Family Medicine Patients and Family Physician Equity.

Abstract

This is the first of two sequential equity and diversity-themed <i>JABFM</i> issues. Multiple articles address the social justice tenet of family medicine; ie, diversity and equity issues within the family medicine field and health care equity in the delivery of care to diverse patient populations. Within the field, we have a paper on how ABFM attempts to ensure equity in the board examination through differential item analyses review. Other articles report on the diversity of family physicians, the languages they use in their practices, family medicine department chairs, and deans of schools of medicine, as well as the diversity of the patients in family physician practices. Gender inequity is also important for family medicine. For care of diverse populations, there is a discussion of pseudofolliculitis barbae implications, race-specific blood pressure medications and control, location of family physicians and of social services by need, and a large study of laboratory testing by gender. Articles on various clinical topics are also included.