There is much talk about healthcare access, inequity, and inequality. Here are some web pages that can help you understand the concerns and some steps taken to address the problems.
American Public Health Association
Knowing and understanding health inequities and how they affect your life is essential. For example, did you know that black women die in childbirth three times more than other women? This racial inequity has been affecting black women for more than a decade now. Access to treatment, poor quality of care, implicit bias, and discrimination are a few explanations concerning the elevated mortality rate for African American women in childbirth.
Equality in healthcare is tricky because everyone does not need the same things to provide them with quality healthcare. Equality in healthcare aims to provide everybody the best chance for excellent healthcare. However, this may be a slippery slope back to problems of inequality. Leaving it up to states to fix the issues in marginalized communities with “leftover” monies. These days, entrusting politicians to protect those of a differing political Power could be homicidal to vulnerable communities.
Office Of Minority Health
Providing healthcare to those without healthcare is a big step towards decreasing healthcare disparity. The stress from racism continues to harm the health of minority people. They suffer more from chronic diseases. This article is a reminder to all of us that the Affordable Healthcare Act is interested in preventing morbidity from treatable conditions.
Think Cultural Health
The road to developing health equity is long. This site gives insight into the progress made so far. Many helpful resources chronicle the development of minority health equity in America.
Healthy people 2030
Healthy People 2030 has 358 goals to improve Americans’ health and well-being by 2030. You can monitor the progress of reaching the goals. It would be nice if a big campaign were going on in these next five years so that Americans would be aware of the goals and grassroots efforts to inform marginalized communities. https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople
National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities
I am relieved to see this site. Given the history of African Americans and the medical community, it is not easy to trust research. The site provides the information needed for research funding. Marginalized communities must have a voice in research. This site is a good place to start—https://www.nimhd.nih.gov/resources/index.html
The steps taken are alleviating healthcare disparities; however, no mandate can control the hearts of healthcare providers. After writing policies and setting goals, the interaction between the patient and provider determines if the transfer of services is considered equitable. Equity is not only about patients receiving services. It is also about the delivery of those services. A good example is the shameful number of black women disproportionately dying in childbirth due to poor quality of care, implicit bias, and discrimination. We have to do better.
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