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Redefining global cardiac surgery through an intersectionality lens
  1. Dominique Vervoort1,
  2. Lina A Elfaki2,
  3. Maria Servito3,
  4. Karla Yael Herrera-Morales4,
  5. Kudzai Kanyepi5
  1. 1 Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  2. 2 University of Toronto Temerty Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
  3. 3 University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
  4. 4 Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social Unidad Médica de Alta Especialidad, Merida, Mexico
  5. 5 Midlands State University, Gweru, Zimbabwe
  1. Correspondence to Dr Dominique Vervoort, Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada; vervoortdominique{at}hotmail.com

Abstract

Although cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, six billion people lack access to safe, timely and affordable cardiac surgical care when needed. The burden of cardiovascular disease and disparities in access to care vary widely based on sociodemographic characteristics, including but not limited to geography, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, indigeneity, socioeconomic status and age. To date, the majority of cardiovascular, global health and global surgical research has lacked intersectionality lenses and methodologies to better understand access to care at the intersection of multiple identities and traditions. As such, global (cardiac) surgical definitions and health system interventions have been rooted in reductionism, focusing, at most, on singular sociodemographic characteristics. In this article, we evaluate barriers in global access to cardiac surgery based on existing intersectionality themes and literature. We further examine intersectionality methodologies to study access to cardiovascular care and cardiac surgery and seek to redefine the definition of ‘global cardiac surgery’ through an intersectionality lens.

  • Surgery
  • Cardiology
  • Health policy
  • feminism
  • social anthropology

Data availability statement

Data sharing not applicable as no datasets generated and/or analysed for this study. Not applicable.

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Data availability statement

Data sharing not applicable as no datasets generated and/or analysed for this study. Not applicable.

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Footnotes

  • Twitter @DVervoort94, @karlayaelh

  • Contributors DV: conception and design; analysis and interpretation; writing the article; critical revision of the article, guarantor. LAE: analysis and interpretation; writing the article; critical revision of the article. MS: analysis and interpretation; writing the article; critical revision of the article. KYHM: analysis and interpretation; writing the article; critical revision of the article. KK: analysis and interpretation; writing the article; critical revision of the article. All authors have approved the final version of the manuscript.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Patient and public involvement Patients and/or the public were not involved in the design, or conduct, or reporting, or dissemination plans of this research.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.