The goal of this investigation was to raise awareness to a grotesque and essential procedure that, in some respects, symbolizes the failings of the American healthcare system to equally serve all U.S. residents. In recent years, many patients-especially those from minority communities where chronic diseases and delays in health access are endemic-have faced unequal health outcomes: rates of amputations have skyrocketed in recent years, with Black and Latino patients at least twice as likely to receive amputations than whites.
Moreover, the goal was to evaluate how the current health crisis impacted patients with severe chronic conditions, like peripheral vascular disease. During COVID-19, initial evidence suggested racial disparities in chronic disease management only intensified as care was deferred due to a combination of hospital capacity, barriers to telehealth, and the like. However, since the consequences of many chronic diseases can take years to manifest, actual outcome data has been lacking.
Through interviews with over 3 dozen amputees, advocates, clinicians, and public health experts; local and national race-based outcome data; and shoe-leather reporting across the country, we illustrated the tremendous, unequal impact of the pandemic on the health and wellbeing of folks like Leafer Miller and Anthony Sambo.
