Providers should have a protocol in place in their practice for discussing and addressing potential barriers to care and a knowledge of community resources that can help.¹ They can also participate in racial awareness and implicit bias training; the increased awareness helps people address bias that they see in themselves and in others in their practice.¹ Although accepting all patients regardless of their ability to pay is not a viable option in private practice, clinicians can spend some of their time working in community clinics and providing community education programs.¹ Although there are active steps that providers can take, change at the level of social policy is also necessary. Social determinants of health are interrelated and difficult to address; for example, in the United States, Black individuals have greater exposure to many environmental factors associated with IBD.² Therefore, social policy changes need to address multiple factors, including both race and socioeconomics.

References:
1. Anyane-Yeboa A et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2022;20(11):2427-34;
2. Liu JJ et al. Inflamm Bowel Dis. 2023;29(2):297-307.