Health equity in organized medicine survey reports

Medical societies offer physicians and trainees a platform for support and advocacy and play a crucial role in advancing health equity. The Health Equity in Organized Medicine (HEIOM) survey, first launched in 2023, collects vital information on the equity-related actions and priorities of state/territorial and specialty medical associations that comprise the American Medical Association (AMA) Federation of Medicine. 

Intended for use by the Federation and broader organized medicine, this survey seeks to understand the current state of organized medicine’s efforts in advancing health equity and developing a shared understanding of equity initiatives across states and specialties.

The 2024 HEIOM survey revealed that even in an increasingly complex political landscape and concerted efforts to discredit diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, there is a continued—and even strengthened—activity around equity and inclusion initiatives in many sectors.^1-4 

For example, the 2024 survey found that 74.1% of organizations have taken at least one action to make equity a strategic priority.

When comparing efforts and progress made from 2023 to 2024 among organizations who completed both surveys, 51.9% reported completing or sustaining the majority of their actions and no organizations reported stopping or canceling the effort they had underway in 2023.

The HEIOM survey is organized in alignment with five steps for advancing equity through a framework created by Rise to Health: A National Coalition for Equity in Health Care. These steps include:

Step 1: Get grounded in history and your local context: Actions organizations are taking to identify policies and practices that intentionally or unintentionally disadvantage historically marginalized groups and understand their local context.

Step 2: Identify opportunities for improvement: Actions taken to gather data to identify and understand inequities within an organization and its membership. 

Step 3: Make equity a strategic priority: Actions taken to embed equity within responding organizations. 

Step 4: Take initiative: Actions taken to address past and ongoing harms within an organization and its community.

Step 5: Align, invest and advocate for thriving communities: Organizational progress towards action aligning, investing, and advocating for the communities being served.

Additionally, the 2024 HEIOM survey report includes new insight on organized medicine’s efforts to support international medical graduates (IMGs) (PDF) as well as initiatives to name and challenge ableism (PDF), two priority topics identified in the 2024-2025 AMA Organizational Plan to Advance Health Equity.

• Read the full 2024 report (PDF)
• Read highlights from the 2024 report (PDF)

The AMA's 2023 HEIOM survey report was the first comprehensive assessment of the efforts taken by organized medicine to advance health equity. Recognizing that organizations are at different stages in their equity journeys, this survey provided a baseline overview of the Federation of Medicine’s progress towards health equity. Results are stratified by organization type, distinguishing state/territory associations from specialty societies. This allows organizations to benchmark themselves to their peers while avoiding directly comparing state/territory associations and specialty societies. 

• Read the full 2023 report (PDF)
• Read highlights from the 2023 report (PDF)

1. Efforts in organized medicine to eliminate harmful race-based clinical algorithms

   1. This research letter, published in JAMA Network Open, explores the misuse of race in clinical algorithms and presents descriptive findings on organized medicine's efforts to eliminate these harmful algorithms.

2. Medical societies play big role in righting kidney-care inequity

   1. In this AMA news article, learn about how medical societies can advocate to eliminate the use of race as a factor in the measurement of kidney function to advance equity in health care.

3. Federation of Medicine shows progress in advancing health equity

   1. Learn more about actions organized medicine is taking to advance health equity in this AMA news article summarizing findings from the 2023 Health Equity in Organized Medicine survey.

1. AMA Center for Health Equity

   1. The Center's mission is to strengthen, amplify and sustain the AMA’s work to eliminate health inequities—improving health outcomes and closing disparities gaps—which are rooted in historical and contemporary injustices and discrimination.

2. AMA’s strategic plan to advance health equity.

   1. Details on the AMA's continuing work to embed racial justice and advance health equity. This strategic plan serves as a roadmap to promote action and accountability to advance health equity for years to come.

3. Equitable Professional Societies Network (EPSN)

   1. Part of the Rise to Health Coalition, EPSN mobilizes organizations that represent diverse health care professionals, coordinates learning, and encourages action for collective impact so that all people have the power, circumstances, and resources to achieve optimal health. The EPSN is a collaborative initiative convened by the AMA and the Council of Medical Specialty Societies in partnership with HealthBegins, Race Forward, and a growing number of other national partners. Join the network.

4. Prioritizing Equity videos

   1. The Prioritizing Equity video series illuminates how COVID-19 and other determinants of health uniquely impact marginalized communities, public health and health equity, with an eye on both short-term and long-term implication. These videos shed light on the root causes of health inequities and offer valuable lessons for racial justice and health equity from leading voices in health care. Watch the series. Get CME.

1. Maybank A. The Plight of DEI Leaders—Heavy Expectations and Limited Protection. N Engl J Med. 2024;390(14):1258-1260. doi:10.1056/NEJMp2402660
2. Statement on improving health through DEI. American Medical Association. March 26, 2024. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/statement-improving-health-through-dei 
3. Importance of Diversity in Health Care. AAMC. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.aamc.org/about-us/mission-areas/medical-education/my-story-matters 
4. Blackstock OJ, Isom JE, Legha RK. Health care is the new battlefront for anti-DEI attacks. PLOS Glob Public Health. 2024;4(4):e0003131. doi:10.1371/journal.pgph.0003131