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Can Education Be a Cure?: Using Legal Epidemiology to Address Health Workforce Disparities
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 September 2025
Abstract
This article examines the intersection of legal epidemiology, education, and diversity in the healthcare workforce within historically marginalized Black communities. Despite national efforts to diversify the healthcare workforce, systemic barriers — rooted in historical policies such as redlining and unequal school funding — continue to obstruct educational attainment and career access. Through a literacy-focused intervention and analysis of parental involvement, the study identifies foundational educational deficits that hinder students’ progression into healthcare fields. The authors argue for an expanded definition of legal epidemiology that includes education as a determinant of health, enabling a more holistic understanding of how law and policy shape community well-being. This interdisciplinary approach highlights the necessity for structural reforms in both education and healthcare policy to enhance equity, representation, and health outcomes. The findings offer actionable insights for policymakers, educators, and public health professionals committed to advancing justice through systemic change.
Keywords
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- Type
- Columns: Currents in Contemporary Bioethics
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- Copyright
- © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics
Footnotes
About This Column: The Currents in Contemporary Bioethics column features examinations of recent developments and trends in bioethics. If you would like to submit to this column, please contact JLME editor-in-chief Aaron Kesselheim at akesselheim@bwh.harvard.edu.
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