Invited Commentary on: Family Decision-Making During Access to Surgical Care for Children: A Qualitative Analysis and Conceptual Framework

The topic of healthcare disparities in surgery has become increasingly popular among outcome health researchers. In pediatrics alone, the number of publications related to healthcare disparities across surgical subspecialties has tripled from 2018 to 2025. Access to timely, high-quality, and effective healthcare is an essential, and potentially modifiable, component of care affecting surgical outcomes [1]. Unfortunately, existing literature about disparities and how to address them is significantly unbalanced.