Opinion: Factoring in patients’ experiences is essential for moving the needle on health disparities

Fixing health disparities without insights from patients is like diagnosing an illness without knowing a patient's history.

Three years ago, when cancer turned my life upside down, I never imagined I’d have to fight to receive high-quality care at one of the country’s best hospitals. But I did.

From being butchered during a biopsy and then later receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer by email, my health care experience was a nightmare from start to finish. It led me, a Black person with broad multidisciplinary expertise in research and innovation, to pivot my career to improve cancer care for underserved patients by bringing their voices into research and design.

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