Global Workforce Implications of Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization.

Abstract

The Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization Supreme Court decision in 2022 changed the landscape of reproductive health care in the USA. As Claire D Brindis and colleagues explain in their Viewpoints, there are wide-ranging impacts on both the national health-care workforce and society. Workforce impacts include: an absence of clarity on exceptions to state bans, which leaves clinicians in serious legal and ethical binds; major concerns for the privacy of health records; and loss of providers and clinics in restrictive states, affecting both current practice and medical education. Societal impacts are highest on those individuals who are most vulnerable, such as minoritised racial and ethnic groups and low-income individuals. Mental health outcomes affect both the workforce and broader society, and the authors note the pressing need for robust research on the impacts of Dobbs. This Comment expands on these important Viewpoints to present implications and strategies for the workforce in the USA and globally.