Racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States experience disparities in their health and health care that arise from a combination of interacting factors, including racism and discrimination, social drivers of health, health care access and quality, individual behavior, and biology. To ameliorate these disparities, the American College of Physicians (ACP) proposes a comprehensive policy framework that recognizes and confronts the many elements of U.S. society, some of which are intertwined and compounding, that contribute to poorer health outcomes. In addition to this framework, which includes high-level principles and discusses how disparities are interconnected, ACP offers specific policy recommendations on disparities and discrimination in education and the workforce, those affecting specific populations, and those in criminal justice practices and policies in its 3 companion policy papers. ACP believes that a cross-cutting approach that identifies and offers solutions to the various aspects of society contributing to poor health is essential to achieving its goal of good health care for all, poor health care for none.

Sickle cell disease is an umbrella term for a group of hemoglobinopathies characterized by the presence of 2 β-globin gene mutations or deletions, at least 1 of which is the point mutation that leads to the production of hemoglobin S. Sickle cell disease is associated with hemolytic anemia, significant chronic end-organ damage, and early death. In high-income countries, at least 95% of children with the disease survive into adulthood, resulting in a growing population of affected adults with significant comorbidities, complex medical issues, and not enough specialists to provide care. Hydroxyurea is the primary therapy, and recent advances in understanding disease pathophysiology have led to new therapies; progress in bone marrow transplant and gene editing has resulted in cure in some patients. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the diagnosis, common acute and chronic clinical manifestations, and best practices for management of sickle cell disease.

Experts recommend that persons with knee osteoarthritis wear stable supportive shoes; however, evidence suggests that flat flexible shoes may be more beneficial.

In this commentary, the authors discuss how the high demand for personal protective equipment during the COVID-19 pandemic can help draw attention to society's deep-seated reliance on forced labor.

Since 1995, 14 states have passed laws encouraging or mandating influenza vaccination for hospital workers. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends vaccinating health care workers to reduce disease transmission and patient risk, the effect of these laws on pneumonia and influenza mortality is unknown.

Black DM, Geiger EJ, Eastell R, et al. Atypical femur fracture risk versus fragility fracture prevention with bisphosphonates. N Engl J Med. 2020;383:743-53. 32813950.

Juraschek SP, Hu JR, Cluett JL, et al. Effects of intensive blood pressure treatment on orthostatic hypotension: a systematic review and individual participant-based meta-analysis. Ann Intern Med. 2020. [Epub ahead of print.] 32909814.

Nidorf SM, Fiolet ATL, Mosterd A, et al. Colchicine in patients with chronic coronary disease. N Engl J Med. 2020;383:1838-47. 32865380.

This commentary discusses the pros and cons of single-dose COVID-19 vaccination versus the 2-dose strategy.

Currently in Annals, a trio of articles each takes a different route to the same conclusion: Using initial supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to immunize as many persons as possible with a single-dose regimen may achieve more benefit than reserving supplies to administer a more effective 2-dose regimen to a smaller population. The editorialist discusses factors that may impede the timely vaccination of a substantial proportion of the U.S. population and the circumstances under which the ideas posited by the 3 articles for stretching vaccine supplies may have the greatest utility.

Lamontagne F, Agoritsas T, Macdonald H, et al. A living WHO guideline on drugs for covid-19. BMJ. 2020;370:m3379. 32887691.

Bonaca MP, Wiviott SD, Zelniker TA, et al. Dapagliflozin and cardiac, kidney, and limb outcomes in patients with and without peripheral artery disease in DECLARE-TIMI 58. Circulation. 2020;142:734-47. 32795086.