A Solution

The solutions to end health disparities are complex and involve introspection and confrontation with one's own perceived beliefs about our fellow human beings who are of a different socioeconomic status, sex, religion, age, gender, and physical appearance than ourselves. No person, even if of the same skin color and culture, is the same. Hence, the solution to health disparities is the societal decision to hold accountable those who harm others by withholding health information and treatment that can sustain and prolong life. The value of all human lives is priceless. Hence, access to healthcare and quality evidenced-based care is a right for all.

Grassroots Community Collaboratives

Grassroots community initiatives can be vital to the education and stabilization of vulnerable populations experiencing problems, such as chronic disease and socioeconomic issues. A historical overview of the origins of some grassroots initiatives in the United States are explored. The potential effectiveness of grassroots initiatives used in the past and implemented in the current healthcare environment is examined for purposeful use in resolving health disparities. While, historically, there have been multiple interventions to resolve the problem of health disparities, the problem of socioeconomic and racial injustices still prevent change. Nonetheless, change is possible and can be accomplished.

Psychological Implications of Health Disparities

The psychological implications of health disparities are damaging as humans of different religions, genders, races, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds seek entry into healthcare systems and receive poor quality of treatment related to health care workers' and healthcare providers' conscious and unconscious biases. Linguistics, a cultural aspect of diversity, also impacts healthcare disparities, as language barriers affect health literacy. Psychologically impaired by both perceived and overt expressions of discrimination, affected persons can develop discomfort in seeking health care treatment secondary to a history of maltreatment by healthcare workers and providers. However, this pattern of maltreatment can be altered when healthcare workers are educated about unconscious biases and how, if not brought to awareness and removed from the daily interactions with others, they impact the physical and mental health of generations of people.

Accessibility for All

Healthcare is a human necessity to maintain mental and physical health in modern society. Accessibility to healthcare is therefore a human right. However, it is a right that is not always granted or achievable. Not all Americans have insurance. The middle class and working poor must contend with high insurance premiums and out-of-pocket co-pays. Accessibility of healthcare information, symptom recognition, and disease management should be provided to at-risk populations, such as persons residing within rural or inner-city low-income areas, racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with literacy issues (i.e., unable to read or write). Lack of access to mental and physical healthcare can jeopardize individuals and, ultimately, the health and well-being of future generations.

Culture, Race, and Ethnicity

Race and culture are uniquely different descriptions of all people. Physical characteristics, genetic variations, and geographic location(s) versus the traditions, faiths, and belief systems with which human beings are brought up position each person to view and experience the world and their immediate environments differently. Hence, when people of different races and cultural backgrounds enter the healthcare system, a cultural clash can occur. Evidence of this cultural clash can be manifested, for example, in language barriers, health literacy, and dietary and medication adherence issues. Healthcare workers and providers working collaboratively with professionals in the community can positively enhance the care that affected persons and their families receive, thus breaking the health disparity cycle.

Historical Overview of Health Disparities in the United States

Health disparities in the United States and around the world carry with them a history of cultural bias, fear of the unknown, racism, sexism, ageism, intolerance of religious beliefs, and a desire to retain the status quo. Some people perceive a majority group as superior to demographic groups that are believed to be inferior. However, as the US population becomes increasingly diverse, changes will come. Internationally, globalization and immigration merge the worlds of the poor and rich, as each social class struggles to find their socioeconomic and healthcare footprint in modern-day society. All US citizens will be affected by a failure to unite.

Holding Healthcare Systems Accountable

Statistically, there are data that support the persistent existence of health disparities in the United States. Should healthcare systems and facilities be held accountable by their state and the federal government to show evidence of improvements in recognizing and resolving disparities experienced by vulnerable populations receiving care within their organizations? The answer to this question is yes. If healthcare systems consistently produce data indicative of poor health outcomes for vulnerable populations, interventions should be identified to improve healthcare delivery and quality. Improvements in the health status of all Americans is contingent upon a united front by all Americans in ending health disparities.

Defining Health Disparities in Terms of Equity

Disparities in healthcare limit accessibility to care among affected populations and can include imbalances in the equitable achievement of optimal health. These imbalances occur as a result of differences that others have in financial means, education, culture, age, race, gender, sex, ethnicity, and religion. Consequentially, as health disparities persist among populations, mortality and morbidity rates reflect these inequities in health care. Hence, human life is quantified by geographic location, skin color, language, poverty, and an inability to culturally assimilate with majority populations. Hidden biases overshadow the pricelessness of human life, disease management, and disease prevention. Chapter 1 provides an overview of what encompasses health disparities and how equity is involved. Vulnerable populations within the United States are examined, and hidden biases are discussed as factors that impact the achievement of equitable healthcare.