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04/19/26

Ableism, ageism, and other biases in healthcare: the impact on young adult patients.

Rosewater, Jemma-Tiffany; Dave, Sneha; Didier, Meg; Melton, Katherine. Health Care Transitions

Collection Topics
Equity, Access, and Timeliness Patients and Families as Partners
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Summary

Young adults, especially those with chronic or rare diseases, face bias and discrimination that impede timely diagnosis. In a roundtable discussion of five patients and six healthcare professionals, participants envisioned a more just healthcare system, highlighting diagnostic delays driven by ageism, ableism, and symptom invisibility. These intersecting barriers demand systemic attention to improve diagnostic equity for vulnerable patients across age groups.
Read the paper
Rosewater J-T, Dave S, Didier M, et al. Ableism, ageism, and other biases in healthcare: the impact on young adult patients. Health Care Transitions. 2026;4:100136.