Case Study: Understanding Health Disparities

Epidemiology defined: The basic science of public health in which the causing factor, population, frequency, and relevant intervention is found in the case of an outbreak.

This publication by Dr. Marshall H. Chin and his colleagues presents a visionary model of interventions in order to reduce health disparities. One of the key findings they summarize in this publication is interventions using cultural leverage. Dr. Marshall H. Chin and his colleagues present worldwide conclusions regarding the current state of health disparities interventions and how they could improve future interventions to reduce disparities. However, they have found interventions that cater to a patient culturally to be most promising.

6, 2013) 10. Epidemiology is the focus on addressing the importance of social characteristics (including gender, race, and social class), lifestyle, and the social and physical environment (including such things as employment status, stress, exposure to toxic substance, and participation in social networks) on disease and illness. ( ]Page 35 in the textbook) 11. An epidemiologist is a person who studies patterns of diseases or health risks in population groups, societies, and cultures.

The state of California has approximately 3 million people uninsured representing eight percent of its total population (Levin, 2016). The disparity of lack of access to quality care and access to health care can be defined as a difference in which disadvantaged social groups persistently experience social disadvantage or discrimination systematically experience worse health greater than that of more advantaged social groups (Center for Medicare Advocacy, n.d.). The Institute of Medicine suggests that health disparities are racial or ethnic differences in the quality of health care that are not due to access-related factors or clinical needs, preferences, and appropriateness of intervention (Riley, 2012). Factors such as poverty, race, and ethnic background affect access to healthcare and quality of healthcare.

Health disparities are considered to be differences dealing with health care, which is closely linked with society economic and/or environmental disadvantages. The disadvantage could be caused by race, gender, age or socioeconomic status. Health disparities can be affect certain people in different ways which will cause greater obstacles based on their race or ethics group or religion.

Some methods that can be used by the healthcare institutions to address the healthcare disparities at the interpersonal and intrapersonal levels will be considered. The approaches given are based on the research and social psychological theory that is likely to enhance the multicultural healthcare services (Weech-Maldonado et al., 2015). The first method that is being discussed in this paper is interventions that target attitudes and stereotypes to the members of the ethnic or racial minorities. This aims at producing general changes in the patients and healthcare providers that are likely to affect disparities in healthcare.

1. What does the term health disparities mean? Health disparity is a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and environmental disadvantage. "Health disparities affect group of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health based on their racial or ethnic group." (Kotch, 2013 pg. 233) 2.

Originally, epidemiology was a term that was used to describe the spread of infectious disease. Over the course of time, that definition has expanded considerably in order

The article, Tackling the Root Causes of Health Disparities Through Community Capacity Building, written by Anthony Iton, explains the relationship between an individuals income and their overall health. Because of the underlying fact that wealthier individuals lead an all over healthier life, those whom fall under the poverty line are at severe health disadvantages.

Health disparities are the inequalities that occur in the provision of healthcare and access to healthcare across different racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Health disparities negatively affect groups of people who have experienced greater social or economic obstacles to health. Social structures and economic systems attributing to health disparities include the social environment, physical environment, health services, and structural and societal factors. Environmental health disparities arise among racial and ethnic minorities as social and environmental factors interact. Studies suggest that disadvantaged communities facing environmental disparities face a greater likelihood of exposure to ambient

According to sources, when it comes to cancer deaths, the rate was 1.2 higher in 2004 within the African American community than the whites. However, for health care coverage, Hispanics are three times more likely to be uninsured compared to

In a study done by Praphul et al. (2012) health disparities collaborative were implemented in three federally qualified health centers in Louisiana in order to improve the delivery of quality care and improve the outcomes of patients diagnosed with diabetes and heart failure. A qualitative study was conducted with interviews done with the chief operating officer, lead physician, and nurse coordinator. Data was analyzed by interpretative coding. The study was limited by staff turnover, learning curves of employees, remote location of facilities, lower economic status meant limited ability for follow-up visits. Despite these limitations the study concluded that in order to use a collaborative approach in order to improve patient outcomes several

In today 's society, we are fortunate enough to live in a very diverse and multicultural nation. Thus, one may not realize that there is a vast array of health issues that is associated with it. A variety of issues that could come with a multicultural society could include, but not limited to: health disparities, access to healthcare, getting equal and quality care, and cultural appropriation. Likewise, there are factors involved that prevents people of minority groups from gaining access to the health care they need like a language barrier or no health insurance. One of the major factors involved that prevents access to proper health care is the built environment in which one lives in. The built environment consists of settings that were designed, created, and maintained by human efforts. The environment one lives in determines what kind of toxins they are exposed, as well as access to resources such as food, parks, schools, and healthcare. Not to mention, where one lives indicates their predicted life expectancy, socioeconomic status, health disparities they are also exposed to. As such, one of the most controversial and debated issue of the built environment is the displacement of the occupying demographic of the area. This is also known as gentrification.

There are many factors that are creating issues in the health of many Americans. People often think that since we live in the United States which is rich and powerful, that we all must have access to some type of insurance. This is not true for all Americans; some have health insurance while many don’t. Some jobs offered health insurance but the cost its just too high and many people can’t afford it, leaving them without health insurance. Having no health insurance creates a bigger problem, people don’t get their annual checkups and their health deteriorates. Having programs that would help us with our health its important and more of those are needed.

I was drawn to the idea of not only focusing on one-on-one patient care that doctors provide, but also solving problems that affect the health of entire populations. The study of disease and health within populations; for instance, preventing disease, promoting health, and reducing health problems between groups are the main reasons I want to pursue an M.P.H focusing on epidemiology. These are my strongest interests because I believe they are important in improving our world’s health.