Health Disparities Research Paper
Introduction
Despite the numerous advancements made in public health in recent decades, healthcare disparities still exist. Minority populations in the United States are disproportionately at risk of not having insurances, lack of access to care and probably having the worst healthcare outcomes from conditions that can otherwise be prevented. According to the World Health Organization, healthcare disparities simply refer to variations, inequalities or differences in healthcare that result in worse health outcomes among populations which are socially disadvantaged. In this context, it refers to people of a specific ethnicity or race who are economically or socially disadvantaged.Health Disparities Research Paper
The federal government of the United States has made the reduction of disparities its national priority. Similarly, policy experts in the health sector, physicians and other healthcare providers have focused their attention and interest in identifying the social determinants of health to establish ways of increasing diversity and the cultural competency of healthcare professionals. This paper discusses how the social determinants of health are the major identifiers of healthcare disparities and propose a diverse workforce as an effective strategy in eliminating healthcare disparities.
Supporting Argument 1
Jackson & Gracia (2014) outline how the entire population of the United States continues to face significant health challenges such as increased medical costs, persistent healthcare disparities in populations which are underserved and the need for a strong public health workforce. They openly acknowledge that, although there are significant reforms in the health sector, some threats are still existent. Some of the most specific threats include a current shortage in the nursing workforce, medical equipment, and medications all of which present critical threats in protecting the health status of families and communities to populations that are the most vulnerable and least capable of helping themselves (Jackson & Gracia, 2014). They document that, the differences in access to healthcare services, healthcare quality, morbidity and mortality rates are largely determined by the social environments that people live in, play, learn and work and this is what contributes to the existence of disparities as the most significant healthcare determinants in the entire life span. The most specific social determinants mentioned include; income, development in early childhood, education, social support, gender, housing, and employment. Jackson & Gracia (2014) are critical to note that, population subgroups which are less empowered with a lower socio-economic status, are likely to work and live in environments that are degraded which exposes them to high risks of developing disease and stress. Due to the inability to access quality care, they have short lives and worse health outcomes.Health Disparities Research Paper
Supporting Argument 2
Williams et al. (2014) define healthcare disparities as systematic variances in opportunities of achieving optimal health that result in differences in health outcomes that are unfair and avoidable. According to the researchers, location and social identity dimensions which determine access to healthcare opportunities or vice versa include geography, disability, employment, gender, socio-economic status, ethnicity and race (Williams et al., 2014). In other words, these multiple determinants were identified as living conditions that are determined by; access to care, water, food and housing, quality of schools and workplaces and the nature of social relations.
With regards to social relations, the researchers mention systemic, institutional and interpersonal biases in healthcare practices and policies such as grouping people into neighborhood’s that are either resource-rich or resource-poor based on socio-economic status and race. Since the quality of schools and neighborhoods helps to shape the course of life and the health status of both children and adults, in such cases, class and race tend to differentiate the access to schools and neighborhoods that are safe, clean and rich in resources which is a significant factor that leads to health disparities (Williams et al., 2014) These structural inequities have been mentioned as contributors to healthcare differences that can be prevented such as life expectancies.
Supporting Argument 3
LaVeist & Pierre (2014) highlight social determinants of health as the defining factors which contribute to structural disparities that can be used to gauge the risk of specific populations to suffer from diseases that can otherwise be prevented. However, they focus on explaining why healthcare disparities have been difficult to eliminate completely with reference to social determinants of health. The reason as to why healthcare disparities may prove difficult to completely address is that they have a tendency to follow generations LaVeist & Pierre (2014). An example is given of African Americans who according to the National Institute of Health, have a high rate of infant deaths which are neither associated with differences in biology nor socioeconomic factors.Health Disparities Research Paper
Instead, according to researchers hypotheses, the persistent differences in birth outcomes are linked to chronic stress was a result of being treated differently by society. A similar comparison is given in elementary school where differences in ethnic and racial divisions in the levels of discipline and ability to read are not linked to differences that exist in the levels of intelligence but rather, adverse experiences in childhood, trauma and chronic stress (LaVeist & Pierre, 2014). These factors negatively influence the ability of a child to learn and overall school performance. Additional factors include structural disparities in exposures within the environment such as exposure to lead which have the ability to influence differences in the level of intelligence.
Conclusion
The notion that health is influenced by factors which are totally different and outside healthcare settings is currently a noticeable approach towards improving the health of the public and eliminating healthcare disparities. Social health determinants which include factors such as education, ethnicity, race, housing, access to quality health, healthy food and clean water reveal the essence of considering conditions which are not clinical when providing healthcare services in healthcare settings. A major recommendation from these studies is increasing the percentage of minority groups which are underrepresented into the healthcare workforce after which cross-cultural education can be integrated into ongoing training of healthcare professionals with advanced efforts in research to identify interventions that are more promising.
Implications
The current strain on healthcare resources requires a national response that is highly coordinated for the improvement of healthcare services across the United States. As also suggested by Penman-Aguilar (2016), reducing healthcare disparities will require policymakers at local, state and federal levels and in the health sector to identify social determinants of health as the determining factors of healthcare disparities Therefore, as strategies in reducing healthcare disparities involve providing support for communities and increasing the diversity of the healthcare workforce, private-public partnerships should also be formed to improve the socio-economic and environmental conditions where citizens live (Andermann, 2016). Therefore, collaborative efforts should include actions and strategies which build on the infrastructure of communities and facilitate hiring and training of a healthcare workforce that is highly diverse and culturally competent.Health Disparities Research Paper
References
Andermann, A., (2016). Taking action on the social determinants of health in clinical practice: a framework for health professionals. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l’Association medical Canadienne, 188(17-18), E474-E483.
Jackson, C. S., & Gracia, J. N. (2014). Addressing health and health-care disparities: the role of a diverse workforce and the social determinants of health. Public health reports (Washington, D.C.: 1974), 129 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), 57-61.
LaVeist, T. A., & Pierre, G. (2014). Integrating the 3Ds–social determinants, health disparities, and health-care workforce diversity. Public health reports (Washington, D.C.: 1974), 129 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), 9-14.
Penman-Aguilar, A., Talih, M., Huang, D., Moonesinghe, R., Bouye, K., & Beckles, G. (2016). Measurement of Health Disparities, Health Inequities, and Social Determinants of Health to Support the Advancement of Health Equity. Journal of public health management and practice: JPHMP, 22 Suppl 1(Suppl 1), S33-42.
Williams, S. D., Hansen, K., Smithey, M., Burnley, J., Koplitz, M., Koyama, K., Young, J., … Bakos, A. (2014). Using social determinants of health to link health workforce diversity, care quality and access, and health disparities to achieve health equity in nursing. Public health reports (Washington, D.C.: 1974), 129 Suppl 2(Suppl 2), 32-6.Health Disparities Research Paper