Barriers And Disparities In Health Care

Some of the issues regarding health disparities I have been exposed to living in middle class are, that many people are in need of health insurance, healthcare and employment. I made focus groups in one of the courses in my last semester and asked them questions about if discrimination exist in receiving quality of care? One of the African American participants gave a response: “The medical world reflects the real world.” Participants' also spoke about health care providers who make assumptions about their patients based on race or ethnicity. They also mentioned “As soon as they look at the patient and see if he is African American or Latino, they assume that he doesn't have insurance at all.’’ Some participants who were white, they did not have such experiences. I got to know both positive and negative aspects of that. They also felt that quality of health care services limited because of misperceptions and stereotypes, not the reality of who they are. One more instance, my friend experienced who is an African American-Black and suffering from diabetes and obesity. Due to her geographic location, she did not have access to fresh fruits and vegetables and therefore they tend to eat unhealthy food items. Many chronic and preventable diseases disproportionately affect ethnic

Everyone should have the opportunity to achieve a healthy life and have comprehensive health care services available to them. To achieve this healthy life, people need to have access to the health care system and to a health care provider with whom they can develop a trusting relationship. However, existing barriers to attaining health care services often lead to disparities which in turn lead to differences in life expectancy, health status and a higher prevalence of certain chronic diseases (HealthyPeople.gov, 2012).

Although the United States is a leader in healthcare innovation and spends more money on health care than any other industrialized nation, not all people in the United State benefit equally from this progress as a health care disparity exists between racial and ethnic minorities and white Americans. Health care disparity is defined as “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social or economic disadvantage…adversely affecting groups of people who have systematically experienced greater social and/or economic obstacles to health and/or clean environment based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion” (National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities [NPAEHD], 2011, p. 3). Overwhelming evidence shows that racial and ethnic minorities receive inferior quality health care compared to white Americans, and multiple factors contribute to these disparities, including geography, lack of access to adequate health coverage, communication difficulties between patients and providers, cultural barriers, and lack of access to providers (American College of Physicians,

The United States is faced with multiple health disparities within the country that encompass many challenges for individuals when it comes to the fairness and access to health care. A health disparity is defined as the inconsistency of treatment between two different groups of individuals. Treatment that could be different could be seen as different care due to age, race, ethnicity, culture, or current socioeconomic status (Koh et al., 2012). Treatment may be harmful for individuals as a result of miscommunication that may be perceived the wrong way. Individuals with low health literacy do not understand the purpose of particular drugs or the name of one’s condition, which can further leave an individual vulnerable to harm. Individuals may sign consent they do not fully understand, and will receive unwanted care and procedures (Clark, 2011). Healthcare providers need to be aware of an individual’s level of understanding before harming the individual with irreversible procedures.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was the first step that the United States takes in order to provide greater access to health care coverage, reduce health care spending rate, and improve the quality of service. Ever since the implantation of the ACA, millions of Americans were able to have access to health care coverage. However, the ACA fails to include the undocumented immigrants. Compared with other immigrant group in the United States, undocumented immigrants have lower rates of health insurance coverage. The studies shows that undocumented Latinos were less likely to check their health and they report that “blood pressure being check in the past 2 years and cholesterol checked in the past 5 years. There was 40% reported that reported receiving

Within the United States some populations groups face greater challenges then the general public with being able to access needed health care services in a timely fashion. These populations are at a greater risk for poor physical, psychological, and social health. The correct term would be underserved populations or medically disadvantaged. They are at a disadvantaged for many reason such as socioeconomic status, health, and geographic conditions. Within these groups are the racial and ethnic minorities, uninsured children, women, rural area residents, mentally ill, chronic illness and the disabled. These groups experience greater barriers in access to care, financing of care, and cultural acceptance. Addressing these

Many Americans have access to health care that enable them to receive the care they need. Other faces a variety of barriers that make it difficult to receive health care services. According to the National Healthcare Disparities Reports, racial and ethnic groups are disproportionately represented among the uninsured and lower socioeconomic status. The report showed that health insurance is a contributing factor for poor health for some of the core measures and little improvement (AHRQ, 2014).

“Health disparity: A higher burden of illness, injury, disability, or mortality experienced by one population group relative to another group” ("Disparities in Health," 2012, para. 7). There are many factors which contribute to the disparities in health among certain groups here in the United States. The low income populations seem to be at the greatest risk when it comes to health inequality. Whether this is due to lack of education, access to services, or even neighborhood safety, the divide between the higher income populations and that of lower income populations are growing at an alarming

Social locations and societal makeup of neighborhoods and communities undoubtedly influences local incidence and perception of health and illness. The many ramifications of “social location” such as education level, poverty, and targeted institutional and social prejudice construct the fabric of the morbidity and mortality that we see in minority populations (the heterogeneous amalgam of race/ethnic, gender, sexual orientation, political, and economic minorities). Factors such as access to healthcare, health education, community cleanliness and pollution, willingness to seek care, and fear of discrimination can partially explain health care disparities as they relate to such populations. I think a good way to approach the topic of vulnerability

The status of disparities in 2016 is that many groups face substantial disparities in access to utilizations of care. Minorities face more access barriers and utilize less care then Caucasian counterparts. In many cases minorities are less likely to have routine care visits in the previous year comparison to Caucasian. Additionally, to the barriers of access to care, minorities experience poor experience in health care. It is reported that low-income people of all races report worse health status than higher income status. (Winker, 2006) So, where does the U.S. go from this point forward? What is known we still have a health care disparity that exist and persist in the U.S. While health disparities still are viewed, and reflected in race/ethnicity,

Health disparities are considered to be differences dealing with health care, which is closely linked with society economic and/or environmental disadvantages. The disadvantage could be caused by race, gender, age or socioeconomic status. Health disparities can be affect certain people in different ways which will cause greater obstacles based on their race or ethics group or religion.

There is debate about what causes and who are primarily affected by health disparities. Health disparities are not just based on race, ethnic and cultural differences. Observations and survey shows

All across the United States, it has been found that low income families are faced with extreme disparities in both health care, and their health care outcomes, when paralleled with their financially stable counterparts. While a number of contributing factors have led to such disparities, the latest income trends from across the nation, in addition to both the recession and high rates of unemployment, have profoundly challenged the aptitude for those living with a low-income to access health insurance, obtain quality care, and attain an overall healthy lifestyle.

Inside the confines of the United States, millions of people are not able to enjoy prosperity, wealth, and privilege which remains to be a rare commodity despite our countries inured financial ability. Health is one of the aspects that remain stagnant. Various people with different ethnicities face many of the same health risks, but they also have fears unique to their racial, ethnic, cultural upbringings. To gain an understanding of these modifications and formulation of race responses requires an individual to study more in depth their surroundings. The health care delivery systems are not exempt from disparities. Such disparities cause a need for improvement in the areas of social interaction, economic viability, environmental awareness, or occupational security. Some investigators have examined concerns related to stigma, social support, lack of a home, and poor cultural understanding by providers. Along with a plethora of researchers who have lots of knowledge on this issue, I wanted to further investigate how socioeconomic factors have a huge mark on race and health disparities in the United States.

The five most important challenges that faces by HIT today are healthcare costs, medical errors & poor quality of care, access & disparities, evidence-based medicine, and broad organization change. As I read chapter 1 and 2, I noticed that each problem has some kind of effect on one another. According to the book, the cost of healthcare has been increasing since the last 45years. Some of the high cost can be attributed to access & disparities because so many of uninsured residents go to the hospital, and the emergency room is more expensive than going to see a physician at his/her office. Access and health disparities is also said to be a challenge because of the high number of uninsured causes concern due to the collection & reporting that