AMA Journal of Ethics

Eleven million undocumented immigrants in the United States, including children, face barriers to health. By practicing 4 elements of sanctuary health care, clinicians and organizations can help.

The AMA’s Council on Rural Health (1945-1975) collaborated with domestic health care organizations in the mid-20th century to improve access to health care in rural areas.

Inequity makes it imperative to consider how trade and patent policies influence international patients’ access to treatment and prevention.

Mortality rates for breast cancer are higher where treatments are unavailable and unaffordable. Though less effective, breast examination could be a good screening approach.

Two photographs of caregivers walking through a Honduran jungle to visit patients in their homes literally and figuratively represent barriers to health care access.

Single-procedure interventions with minimal follow-up and clear quality-of-life gain are well suited for surgical mission trips. But not all risks and benefits are easily assessed.

The Volunteer Physicians for Vietnam Program (1966-1973) influenced both physicians-in-training and the environments in which they were immersed.

Low-resource areas are heterogeneous and changing, so establishing an evidence base for decision making about technology use is an important priority.

Practices changed when hospitals became places of recovery rather than death.

The AMA Council on Medical Service matched physicians seeking practice locations with neighborhoods in need.