Research Topic – How does Socioeconomic Status and Race correlate to low quality healthcare.
Abstract
Providing health care services means “the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best possible health outcomes”. While many professionals and physicians who are responsible for delivering these services regularly confront the lack of adequate care and have a corresponding responsibility to contribute their expertise to societal decisions about what health care services should be included in a minimum package of care for all, it is also important to note the realities that many Americans face in relation to the country’s Healthcare system.People of color and other underserved groups experience higher rates of illness and death across a wide range of health conditions, limiting the overall health of the nation. (NIH, pg 3) Although efforts by the government have been made to provide eligibility to many people who are uninsured for coverage through Medicaid, CHIP, or the ACA Marketplaces, barriers to enrollment include confusion about eligibility policies, difficulty navigating enrollment processes, and language and literacy problems. (USDHHS, pg 1) With all these facts present, it is clear to see that people of color and other marginalized and underserved groups continue to experience many disparities in accessing and receiving care. The goal of this literature review is to use 3 key articles to synthesize some previous studies on how the disparities in the United States are directly linked to the poor quality of healthcare many Americans have faced.
The importance of educating a general audience about these disparities.
The importance of bringing awareness to these disparities is to promote and support the idea that “low socioeconomic status is an important determinant of access to health care,” (NIH, pg1). By acknowledging that these issues exist we are able to create policies that can reverse the effects it has had on people. It is also important to note that the education of these issues faced in the healthcare system can help reverse healthcare illiteracy and will help to improve informed decisions upon individuals who struggle to navigate their healthcare needs. The National Institute of Health published an article to provide an outline backed up by many studies to show how social economic status affects quality of healthcare. “Low socioeconomic status has potentially deadly consequences because of its associations with other determinants of health status.” ( NIH,pg1) By explaining how low socioeconomic conditions have restricted attainment of quality health services for others, we are able to reach a national audience that will be able to clearly understand the stance of disparities in regard to healthcare accessibility.
The trends of these disparities
Disparities in the United States are directly linked to trends. This means that many discriminatory practices and prejudices that affect people have patterns. In relation to the poor quality of healthcare many Americans have faced, a report made by the The US Department of Healthcare of Health and Human Service explains that “Current data show that some ethnic minorities, as well as low- income families of whatever race or ethnicity, tend to be in poorer health than other Americans.” (USDHHS, pg1) With this evidence, this report supports the claim that there is a correlation between poor health and low-income families. Another trend we see are factors like race and socioeconomic status affecting the quality of healthcare. This trend demonstrates that “racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic disparities are national problems that affect health care at all points in the process, at all sites of care, and for all medical conditions–in fact, disparities are pervasive in our health care system.” (USDHHS, pg 5) These factors and trends provide a clear explanation as to how disparities in health care are directly linked to the negative outcomes being reported on published reports. This allows people to understand how unattainable health care has become to many populations.
Possible solutions to overcome these disparities
By bringing awareness to this issue, we are educating individuals to engage in policy discussions and advocate for policy changes to address healthcare disparities. And although bringing awareness on how national disparities correlate to accessibility and poor qualities of healthcare is a great step into making these issues well known., it is also important to find solutions that will help to educate policymakers, clinicians, health system administrators, and community leaders on who these disparities are affecting and how they can help. Because we know that “biases and stereotypes among healthcare providers, lack of cultural competence in healthcare delivery, limited access to healthcare services, and just the overall institutionalized racism within the healthcare system.” (T.K. Stacks, pg 7) We are not only able to list key factors, but we are also able to provide preventative measures and solutions to combat this problem. Examples are not limited to but include, “improving data collection and monitoring, enhancing cultural competence training for healthcare providers, expanding access to care for underserved populations, and implementing policies to reduce bias and discrimination in healthcare delivery.” These solutions answer the call to advocate and support those who are being affected by systemic prejudices beyond their control.
All in all, the provided data-based evidence and research to enlist key findings on this issue, adequately address a pressing issue affecting our country. In doing this, they have allowed a general public to understand why healthcare inequality is so important. Bringing awareness to the issue of healthcare disparities allows for the creation of an equitable healthcare system that advocates for people from all kinds of backgrounds which will in turn provide better health outcomes for those in need.
Works Cited
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Rockville, Maryland “National Healthcare Disparities Report” July 2003 pgs 1-255. Accessed on March 12, 2024
National Institute of Health, “Socioeconomic Status and Dissatisfaction With Health Care Among Chronically Ill African Americans” May 2003 pgs 742-748 Accesses on March 12, 2024
Sacks, T. K. (2013). Race and Gender Concordance: Strategy to Reduce Healthcare Disparities or Red Herring? Evidence from a Qualitative Study. Race and Social Problems, 5(2), 88–99. Accessed on March 12, 2024
