Seated in the apogee of Stevens’ construction efforts in the past few years—the UCC (University Center Complex) TechFlex auditorium—a sizable audience of faculty and students welcomed esteemed Dr. Talithia Williams as she took the stage to deliver a truly informative and engaging discourse about patient empowerment and eliminating health disparities. Upon taking the stage, Dr. Williams established her presence as a confident speaker emboldened not only through her impressive credentials but also through her affability and connection to the audience as a lover of learning.
Dr. Williams began her presentation by detailing her journey to the stage. As a student pursuing a Mathematics degree from Howard University and a Statistics degree from Rice University, she had worked in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab where her research pertained primarily to the sterility of a space probe. As a newcomer to the lab, she had been encouraged to share her ideas, and this experience manifests in her endeavor to make numerical models applicable and understandable to everyone. Dr. Williams furthered her erudition by earning her Ph.D. in Statistics and is a tenured Mathematics professor at Harvey Mudd College. She is most well known for delivering the Ted Talk, Own Your Body’s Data in 2014, which delves into the power of being an expert on the data of one’s own body. Dr. Williams also spoke of her enthrallment at PBS as a young child returning from school, and completed the circle as an adult by hosting a show on NovaWonders, where she asked “Can we build a brain… and should we?” “No,” she jovially told the audience and re-established her character as both a speaker and a scientist. Thus, as she transitioned from introducing herself to the meat of the discussion, the audience listened with open ears and a vested interest in Dr. Williams’ presentation.
Dr. Williams broached the discussion by defining health disparities as preventable differences in diseases across different communities. The necessity of acknowledging such differences, she explained, arises in pursuit of achieving optimal health experienced by socially disadvantaged members. Dr. Williams was quick to bring in statistical evidence of social determinants of health. She pointed out that 80% of health needs are accounted for by social and economic factors, and most states don’t cover basic needs. 85% of physicians believe unmet social needs lead to health issues. She also pointed out how rural patients face even more skewed realities due to barriers in health care. Dr. Williams then brought up a chart that contained the top ten leading causes of death, separated by gender and race. She asked the audience to point out anything surprising they might find in the chart. Apart from genetic differences that might result in predispositions for certain diseases, it was easy to see how a lack of certain necessities might affect rates of diseases prevalent among certain demographics; for example, many races cited suicide to be a top 10 leading cause of death among men, but suicide was not a top 10 cause of death for women, regardless of race. Of those races, suicide was far more likely in Native American men than in any other men. Cancer rates, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s also took up different percentages across different races and genders.
Getting the audience comfortable with the numbers that they were likely to face based on race and gender allowed Dr. Williams to advocate for a culture of “data agency” which consists of authority or power given to patients to take ownership of their health experiences, as well as the process of becoming stronger or more confident in controlling one’s life and claiming one’s rights. She exemplified the importance of the first part by citing her experience in requesting a doula for the delivery of her child. As a Black woman, she noticed a shift in treatment when her close friend started calling her “Dr. Williams” halfway into the delivery. In being aware of the potential differences in health experiences, patients can be emboldened to speak up with the understanding that they are deserving of optimal health care. The second part she exemplified by recalling how her mother-in-law had miscarried seven months into her pregnancy, only for the doctor to tell her that they were not able to determine the sex of the child when she asked (the sex of a child can be determined prior to four months into a pregnancy). Empowering patients means that they are aware of what they are entitled to as a human which makes them less likely to be taken advantage of in medical situations
Dr. Williams wrapped up her discussion by pointing out the importance of health data accessibility and transparency, and individual ownership of that data. She noted distrust in healthcare practices such as vaccines because of historic events like the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment which again reinforces the need for personal data agency and greater representation in STEM fields, which she actively works toward by holding programs for children and parents alike. These programs explain how to encourage children to succeed in scientific fields and nurture scientific appreciation. She concluded her presentation with two lessons “Appreciate: Mindfully collect, understand, and evaluate data,” and “Illuminate: Lead with passion and Purpose.” Throughout the discussion, Dr. Williams navigated the pitfalls of minimizing healthcare discrepancies to make the presentation more palatable while preserving the importance of such a conversation. She included anecdotes, personal experiences, and diverse perspectives which made it easier to understand the reality of representation in STEM, the evolution of healthcare, and the perception of healthcare, across different communities.
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