The Importance Of Diversity In Health Care

As the United States becomes more and more culturally diverse one cannot help but be exposed to various cultures and worldviews. America has long been called the melting pot, and that term has never been truer than it is today. According to Green and Reinckens (2013) the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by the year 2041 the U.S. population will be a majority minority. In other words, less than half of the population will be non-Hispanic, single race Caucasian. This growing diversity makes cultural competence in healthcare a necessary

Recently the existence and prevalence of health and health care disparities has increased with accompanying research showing that minorities (African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders) are disproportionately affected resulting in poorer health outcomes compared to non-minority populations (whites). To this degree is due to numerous issues including and most importantly the social determinants of health which includes lower levels of education, overall lower socioeconomic status, inadequate and unsafe housing, and living in close proximity to environmental hazards; all contributing to poor health. Given the ever widening gap in health and health care disparities, the growing number of individuals living at or below the poverty level, the low number of college graduates and the growing shortage of health care professionals (especially minority) the goals of this paper are to: (1) Define diversity and inclusion as interdependent entities. (2) Review the health care

Over the past 25 years, society has shifted dramatically in a new direction. The demographic makeup of the United States continues to change drastically. Because of this change, everyone will be required to become increasingly aware of the people in their surroundings. Some may argue that diversity is based on gender, sex, creed, origin, or some other form of tangible trait however; diversity is much more than that. The American Nurses Association produces the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. This publication has written several scholarly articles about diversity and healthcare. The article, Many Faces, Campinha-Bacote, states “Diversity. It is a word that means something different to each and every person”. What a great definition. As I continue to do research I am seeing more and more information about diversity and other people’s definition of what it is. One website I came across while compiling this research included http://www.diversityrx.org/ This particular site is devoted to providing resources to the community and healthcare employees about trends in diversity. This website is for anyone interested in cultural diversity issues. Healthy People 2010, is a ten-year

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,

Healthcare disparities have been an issue all over the world for a very long time. The purpose of this paper is to give you knowledge on disparities within the health care environment. This paper will discuss the definition of disparities, types of disparities, reasons for disparities, statistical data from trends and reports, and information on disparities elimination and improvements.

Although this is a major contributing factor to healthcare disparities, it may also be the most easily correctable! In many cases, something as simple as educating the providers about the healthcare needs of their underserved patients and eliminating misguided and unfounded stereotypes and preconceptions can dramatically reduce the disparities arising from this factor. In this respect, I feel fortunate in the sense that I have had the opportunity to attend a medical school that realizes the importance of this issue and has taken every possible opportunity to educate and train myself and my fellow colleagues about the implications of these disparities in healthcare. As such, I feel confident that, thanks to my knowledge and awareness of the problem, I can prevent this factor from causing disparities in care within my own practice.

Minority care quality in California is rapidly declining because of the shortage of minority physicians in practice. One might wonder why such a problem exists, but differences in cultural and ethnic identities between doctors and patients alter the quality of care because of preexisting stereotypes, health disparities, and linguistic gaps. Minorities in California consist of those other than non-Hispanic whites, and with their growing presence, they are becoming further underrepresented in the medical field. The foundation of this problem is the declining number of minority students attending medical school and the lack of diversity in medical school faculty. With a greater ethnic diversity in the medical field, comes a better quality of

Discussions of public policy and health program planning have to consider diversity and the way

As the United States becomes more and more culturally diverse one cannot help but be exposed to various cultures and worldviews. America has long been called the melting pot, and that term has never been truer than it is today. According to Green and Reinckens (2013) the U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by the year 2041 the U.S. population will be a majority minority. In other words, less than half of the population will be non-Hispanic, single race Caucasian. This growing diversity makes cultural competence in healthcare a necessary requirement for effective

Disparities in health and health care in the United States have been a longstanding challenge resulting in some groups receiving less and lower quality health care than others and experiencing poorer health outcomes. Hispanics, Blacks, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and low-income individuals are more likely to be uninsured relative to Whites and those with higher incomes. Low-income individuals and people of color also face increased barriers to accessing care, receive poorer quality care, and experience worse health outcomes. The Department of Health and Human Services Disparities Action Plan (HHS) sets out a series of priorities, strategies, actions, and goals to achieve a vision of a nation free of disparities in health and health care.

Barriers in health care can lead to disparities in meeting health needs and receiving appropriate care, including preventive services and the prevention of unnecessary hospitalizations (HealthyPeople.gov, 2012). In their 2008 annual report, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality lists several disparities’ in health care. They report that racial and ethnic minorities in the United States

Haynes (2016) article, The Road to Cultural Competency Are We There yet? Stated that the key to decreasing health disparities in the workforce could be done by increasing diversity. Health disparities as indicated by Turk (2014), Issue: Nursing Workforce, can result in a more complicated societal problem. It was further stated, health disparities have received much attention and is currently identified as a priority issue in our nation. According to Haynes (2016), strategies which were recommended by the Sullivan Commission were done to increase the workforces of nursing should begin with education. Cultural competency as stated here should be a vital component of the nursing curriculum. Turk (2014) reported health disparities result in a more multifaceted societal burden. According to Turk (2014), decreasing health disparities has received significant attention. Individuals, including policymakers, academicians, and researchers are concerned about the diversification of the healthcare workforce of which strategies are being implemented by decreasing health disparities and increasing the availability of culturally competent among health care providers.

We live in a very diverse nation and overcoming challenges related to cultural beliefs and preferences is a very common obstacle for health care workers today. In an article in The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing cultural diversity is defined as being more than just race,

There are disparities in healthcare between different races, ages, genders, etc., and these issues need to be addressed. The Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation (NPHF) has a diversity code. They emphasize the importance of cultural competency and the value of diversity. Cultural competency is viewed as a core element for the fulfillment of the healthcare needs of people around the world. “In fact, diversity is the lens through which we must view people's healthcare needs. The Nurse Practitioner Healthcare Foundation (NPHF) celebrates, respects, and values the inherent worth of every individual, and is committed to promoting the inclusion of every single person in the healthcare system” (NPHF, 2015). Allowing APRNs to practice to the full

Weech-Maldonado et al., (2012) believes that these changes have created a more diverse workforce and clientele. Voutsas (2011) believes that the workforce would continue to be diverse in terms of culture, ethnicity, gender, and age. As the population becomes increasely diverse, health care organizations will be required to respond appropriately .Brown and Mack (2011) states that “in order for American industry to out-innovate the rest of the world diversity matters”. Gathers (2003) is of the opinion that organizations should mirror the communities and societies that they represents .Therefore, Cross (2010) states that organizations must adjust their missions, visions, goals, values, strategies, and cultures in order to reflect the diversity of