One of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic is that it has brought many of the disparities of our healthcare system into sharper focus. In addition to gender and race, age, too, is a social determinant in the quality of care patients receive and the outcomes they experience. As we have seen in the case of COVID-19, patients over the age of 65 have been affected disproportionately, accounting for the majority of fatalities.
Unfortunately, this disparity is not limited to the treatment of contagious illness such as the coronavirus but extends into other areas of healthcare. Yet, age remains an underrecognized factor in the provision of patient care.
