Leila Beshay

What are the main impacts of delayed diagnosis and access to treatment among women ages 60+ years with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and how do social determinants of health and public health policies impact these challenges?

Started June 16, 2025

Abstract or project description

This project will explore the real-world barriers that prevent women 60+ age with Hashimoto's thyroiditis from getting diagnosed and treated in a timely manner. I will be looking at existing research to see how a person’s socioeconomic background, the lack of widespread screening, and the regulations of U.S. insurance programs, like Medicare, create unequal access to care. The final paper will argue that we need a more proactive public health approach and better health education for healthcare providers and patients to improve long-term outcomes for these patients. The goal is to write a paper urging healthcare policy makers and healthcare providers to implement a system that normalizes widespread screening and better access to treatment. I plan for this paper to be published in a public health journal, contributing to literature on care for patients with chronic autoimmune diseases.