This book discusses health disparities in respiratory medicine and suggests methods to reduce them. In the United States, health disparities are well documented in the care of patients with respiratory disorders, particularly among minorities who often have higher rates of disease and poorer health outcomes. Similarly, differences in health and health outcomes exist between differing socioeconomic groups, with lower income groups generally having poorer health and higher rates of chronic illness.

Health Disparities in Respiratory Medicine investigates these differing outcomes through the complex connections between access and quality of treatment available to these groups. Chapters are organized around either causes, diseases, or types of care, including tobacco smoke exposure, environmental air quality, acute respiratory distress syndrome, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and end-of-life care.

This volume is an ideal resource for pulmonologists, health care administrators, and policy makers who aim to understand disparities in respiratory medicine and take steps to improve the differences among groups.