Health Disparity within a Population Group
Directions: For this assignment, you will select and critique one article from a popular media source (e.g., newspaper, magazine, news journal, etc.) that provides information regarding a health disparity within a population group and complete the questions below. Please make sure to use complete sentences when answering each question. Make sure the health disparity is different from your research assignment. In addition, the article must have been published within the last 2 years.Health Disparity within a Population Group
1) Provide the article reference and link. (1point)
2) What health disparity is the article highlighting? (1point)
3) Why is this information newsworthy? How would it benefit the public health community? (3 points)Health Disparity within a Population Group
4) What causes and factors contributed to the health disparity? (2 points)
5) How does the health disparity affect health outcomes? (3 points)
6) Does the article make any recommendations or suggest resources that could benefit the public? If not, what suggestions or recommendations would you suggest? (2 points)
7) Was the article well-written? Justify your rationale? (3 points)
8) Did it include all pertinent information? Justify your rationale? (2 points)
9) Was there information or a perspective that the article should have included? If so, what? What else would you have like to have seen? (3 points)
You must proofread your paper. But do not strictly rely on your computer’s spell-checker and grammar-checker; failure to do so indicates a lack of effort on your part and you can expect your grade to suffer accordingly. Papers with numerous misspelled words and grammatical mistakes will be penalized. Read over your paper – in silence and then aloud – before handing it in and make corrections as necessary. Often it is advantageous to have a friend proofread your paper for obvious errors. Handwritten corrections are preferable to uncorrected mistakes.Health Disparity within a Population Group
Use a standard 10 to 12 point (10 to 12 characters per inch) typeface. Smaller or compressed type and papers with small margins or single-spacing are hard to read. It is better to let your essay run over the recommended number of pages than to try to compress it into fewer pages.
Likewise, large type, large margins, large indentations, triple-spacing, increased leading (space between lines), increased kerning (space between letters), and any other such attempts at “padding” to increase the length of a paper are unacceptable, wasteful of trees, and will not fool your professor.Health Disparity within a Population Group
The paper must be neatly formatted, double-spaced with a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides of each page. When submitting hard copy, be sure to use white paper and print out using dark ink. If it is hard to read your essay, it will also be hard to follow your argument.
Health disparities physician resources
Health Disparities Toolkit. This kit focuses on the theme of “Working Together to End Racial and Ethnic Disparities: One Physician at a Time.” Access DVD interviews with physicians, nurses and patients, and a CD of information on topics such as cultural competence and literacy. Use the facilitation guide to work with other health care providers and physicians.
Explore the AMA’s Code of Medical Ethics to answer questions on ethical and professional issues for physicians.
Access the white paper on “Collecting and Using Race, Ethnicity and Language Data in Ambulatory Settings (PDF)” to find recommendations from the Commission to End Health Care Disparities on how to use demographic data to achieve practical goals.Health Disparity within a Population Group
Research on eliminating health care inequalities
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) performed an assessment on the differences in the kinds and quality of health care received by U.S. racial and ethnic minorities and non minorities.
The IOM report found that:
- Disparities in health care exist and are associated with worse health outcomes.
- Health care disparities occur in the context of broader inequality.
- There are many sources across health systems, providers, patients and managers that contribute to disparities.
- Bias, stereotyping, prejudice and clinical uncertainty contribute to disparities.
- A small number of studies suggest that racial and ethnic minority patients are more likely to refuse treatment.
Read a summary the IOM findings (PDF) and recommendations, or access the complete IOM report.Health Disparity within a Population Group
The IOM concluded that a comprehensive, multilevel strategy is needed to eliminate these disparities.
Access the National Healthcare Quality & Disparities Report for additional information. This annual report is produced by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Related articles on health care disparities
- Addressing Health Care Disparities: Recommended Goal, Guiding Principles and Key Strategies for Comprehensive Policies (PDF)
Find information on the goals of the Commission to Reduce Health Care Disparities, the principles that guide all policy work in this area and a full list of commission members. - Development of a Measure of Physician Engagement in Addressing Racial and Ethnic Health Care Disparities (PDF)
Review the research results that examine the engagement levels of a sample of physicians in addressing gaps in health care and understand how these results can be used to increase physician engagement at a group or institution level. - Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care
Understand the background of how racial and ethnic disparities exist in health care. - Immigration Reform as a Means to Eliminate Health Care Disparities (PDF)
Review the opinions from one commission member, the National Council of Asian Pacific Islander Physicians, in regards to immigration reform.Health Disparity within a Population Group - Reducing Health Disparities: Where Are We Now? (PDF)
Discover how the field of health care disparities has evolved in recent years by examining emerging perspectives, reviewing progress and current activity and looking at outstanding needs. - Access to Care for Patients with Disabilities: Strategies for Ensuring a Safe, Accessible and ADA Compliant Practice (PDF)
Review the important considerations in ensuring a health care facility not only meets required standards, but provides a safe, accessible and comfortable environment for patients with disabilities.
AMA’s work to reduce health care disparities
- The AMA works to increase the number of minority physicians to reflect the diversity of the U.S. population through its policies and advocacy work.
- The AMA’s House of Delegates prioritizes the elimination of racial and ethnic health disparities as a top importance.
- The AMA is partnering with the AMA Foundation to help physicians become aware and manage low health literacy among patients through its public health grants.Health Disparity within a Population Group
AMA’s policy to reduce health care disparities
AMA has enacted policies that support the research findings from the IOM and support the goals of reducing disparities in health care.
These policies aim to:
- Increase awareness of racial and ethnic disparities in health care among the general public.
- Strengthen patient-provider relationships in publicly funded health plans.
- Apply the same managed care protections to publicly funded HMO participants that apply to private HMO participants.
History of the commission to end health care disparities
In 2000, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched Healthy People 2010, which had two broad goals: to improve the overall health status of Americans and to eliminate racial and ethnic health care disparities.Health Disparity within a Population Group
Health and Human Services officials deemed the AMA was ideally positioned to bring national leadership to initiatives in disease prevention and health promotion while working to eliminate health care inequalities.
The AMA agreed to raise awareness of health imbalances and the importance of understanding culturally competent health care and health literacy by working with state medical societies, medical schools, medical students and policymakers.
In 2004, the Commission to End Health Care Disparities was established by the AMA and the National Medical Association to address gaps in health care. The National Hispanic Medical Association joined shortly after.
In June of 2016, the commission was retired, but the resources and materials produced by the commission are available on this page for physicians.Health Disparity within a Population Group