A new AJMC review highlights major gaps in access to rheumatology, dermatology, and gastroenterology specialists for U.S. patients with immunological diseases. Barriers include rural residence, Medicaid coverage, low specialist density, and race/ethnicity. Limited GI data were found, but evidence across fields links poor access to worse outcomes—higher disease severity, more hospitalizations, and greater ED use. The authors recommend solutions across the “5 A’s” of access: affordability, availability, accessibility, accommodation, and acceptability.
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