...Reducing health disparities and achieving equitable health care remains an important goal for the New Zealand healthcare system. Engendering cultural competence in our physicians is widely recognized as a mechanism to reduce these disparities through culturally sensitive and unbiased healthcare. We define cultural competence in regards to healthcare as ‘care that respects diversity in the patient population and cultural factors that can affect health and health care, such as language, communication styles, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors’ (Ref). Research has shown that cultural competence training improves the attitudes, knowledge, and skills of clinicians that are related to caring for diverse populations, including facilitating a richer dialogue with the patient which removes barriers to seeking and sharing more information during medical visits. Cultural competence training also has also been demonstrated to improve patient satisfaction. Although there are only a few published...
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...Health Disparities Health disparities are the health issues that different groups of people have based on many factors. These factors include race, gender, economic status, and age. Many types of disparities exist in the United States, mostly in health. This disparity in health has been an issue for many decades. Individuals with less education are more likely to experience a number of health risks. These health risks include obesity and substance abuse compared to those with more education. “Other influences on healthcare include the availability of access to high-quality education, nutritious food, health insurance, and decent and safe housing” (Disparities). As the population becomes more diverse it is important that we acknowledge health disparities. One of the health disparities that this diversing of the population involves is the access and quality care cannot keep up with the demands. “Today a number of groups are at a disproportionate risk of being uninsured, lacking access to care, and experiencing worse health incomes including people of color and low come individuals”. (Kaiser) Today the life expectancy of American’s is much greater than it was 50-100 years ago. Thus, meaning our elderly are much more in need or good health care and insurance. Even though health has improved for our older generation and the life expectancy has grown some do not receive equal health care based on their income. The CDC recognizes this is a continuing problem and they are trying to...
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...African American Health Care Analysis Cheryl Robinson Capella University CST5500 Multi-Cultural Issues in Health Care Crobinson82@capellauniversity.edu Dr. C Vaugh Abstract It is a cliché of health education that programs and interventions will be more effective when they are culturally appropriate for the populations they serve. In practice, however, the strategies used to achieve cultural appropriateness vary widely. This paper briefly describes African American history and how it relates to health care services. It explains the culture, value and belief of African American when it involves health promotion and disease prevention. Some major health concerns and barriers are noted within the black communities and population as well as way to promote health and disease prevention throughout the African American communities. History of African American population African Americans first arrived to the United States as a crew on a pirate ship in the year 1619. The American population saw these new immigrants as an opportunity and captured many of the six million African immigrants and sold them as slaves (Bennett, 1992 as cited in Edelman & Mandle, 2002). The African American community suffered through a history of slavery and discrimination which has led to their current health and wellness problems. Many of their current problems have been linked to the segregation and cruel treatment that they were subjected to in the past, but African Americans have...
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...Minority Health Care Joseph A. Campbell University of Phoenix Minority Health Care Americans would prefer to believe that as a society there has been progress concerning equality among the sexes and races. Over the years there have been huge strides such as women gaining the right to vote, and the passage of the equal rights bill. Unfortunately, with all the good that has transpired over the years there are still parts of American society that are still heavily influenced by race; health care is one of those areas. “A large and growing body of research indicates that race/ethnicity continues to matter in the U.S. health care system. About 1 in 3 residents of the United States self-identify as either African Americans, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific American, or Latino” (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2011, p1). The reality for many of these Americans is that when comparing their health indicators against the rest of the population (White Americans) the results are a higher rate of illnesses and deaths from health conditions such as stroke, heart diseases, diabetes, specific cancers, asthma, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and hepatitis-b (Office of Minority Health, 2010). Many Americans have access to needed health care; however there are certain barriers that make it very hard for much of the population to receive the help they need. Lack of insurance and the inability to access health care providers are some of the barriers that face many Americans. ...
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...competency in the health sector and reduce health disparities among the ethnic population, the US Department of Health and Human Services have come up with an Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities that organizations in the health sector will have to prepare to incorporate in their own plans. Under this plan, there are five goals listed: 1. Transforming health care; 2. Strengthening the infrastructure and workforce of the nation's health and human services; 3. Advancing the health, safety, and well-being of American people; 4. Advancing scientific knowledge and innovation; and 5. Increasing the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of HHS programs (Jackson and Gracia, 2014). This gives organizations...
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...Health Disparities Solutions: Nurses Can Make a Difference Can Nurses make a difference in reducing health disparities? I believe we can make a big difference, Nurses can work with communities in a “grassroots” type movement to bring attention to the gravity of the inequities built into our current healthcare system. Healthcare is first and foremost about people, and care should be directed by the needs of the people it serves. Secondly, caring is foundational to nursing and this is a concept must be deeply woven throughout all points of health care. The third aspect is the vast pit of inequalities in healthcare; the injustices, denial of treatment and quality healthcare to minorities and the disadvantaged poor. Nurses are known patients advocates, therefore nurses are well equipped, to become leaders, in constructing equitable changes in the system and improve the model of care. Nurses are well- appointed in their understanding, negotiating skills, knowledge of healthcare and patient centered care, to provide guidance and direction to implement meaningful changes. Research in health disparities has identified, that the U.S is burdened by huge social and economic inequalities; it identifies, discrimination, social status, income inequality, and policy decisions as the principal causes of health disparities. The nursing profession needs to reconsider its role and its purpose in reducing health disparities, they need to be proactive in establishing...
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...society has made great strides in recognizing and accepting individuals from diverse backgrounds. However, despite these advancements, members of the LGBTQ+ community still face significant disparities in healthcare. Discrimination, lack of understanding, and stigma have created barriers to quality healthcare for individuals in these groups, leading to negative health outcomes and perpetuating a cycle of inequality. It is imperative that healthcare providers and institutions address these disparities to ensure that all patients receive equitable care regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. It’s not a surprise that LGBTQ+ people face disparities in both physical and mental health compared to their heterosexual...
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...Current Health Status In July 2013, 40.8 million (2013) people in the United States were African American (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). The Center for Disease and Prevention (CDC) reports that 14.6% of African-Americans are in fair or poor health, as compared with the national average. 48% of African Americans, suffer from a chronic illness that results in premature morbidity and mortality, as compared to 39% of the general population (Brandon & Proctor, 2010, p. 590). This population has a higher prevalence of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes. According to Health Statics of U.S. Adults, African Americans were more likely to have been diagnosed with diabetes compared to non-Hispanic white...
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...Healthcare Disparities amongst minorities Racial and ethnic minorities have a predisposition to obtain a lower quality of healthcare than those of non-minorities, even when access-related factors, such as a patients’ insurance status and income, are measured. The sources of these disparities are complex, and are rooted in historic and contemporary injustices, and includes numerous participants at several levels, including health systems, their administrative and bureaucratic processes, utilization managers, healthcare professionals, and patients. Research and studies have found indications that stereotyping, prejudices, and uncertainty on the behalf of healthcare providers can all contribute to unequal treatment. The situations in which many clinical encounters take place - written off as high time pressure, cognitive complexity, and pressures for cost containment, may perhaps increase the chance that these practices will consequently result in care poorly matched to minority patients’ needs. Minorities can experience a range of other barriers to accessing care, even when insured at the same level as Caucasians; which may include language barriers, geographical areas, and cultural familiarities. Furthermore, financial and institutional arrangements of health systems, as well as the legal, regulatory, and political atmosphere in which they function, may have unequal and negative effects on minorities’ capability to reach quality care. A widespread, multi-level...
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...HEALTH DISPARITIES Health disparity is defined as inequality in health or the gaps in the quality of health care across races, ethnic and socioeconomic groups. Health disparities can also be defined as the significant differences between one population and another. The Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000 describe these disparities as differences in the overall rate of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality or survival rates. Disparity in health is significant among some income, racial, and ethnic groups in America and is still expanding. Many Americans are in poor health and do not receive the best medical care. While these problems affect people of all groups, the challenges are especially acute for racial and ethnic minorities. When there is element of racism, poverty, and problematic community environment converge greater overall threats to health develop. The most powerful causes of health and health disparity are social and economic determinants or the community conditions for health. There are many reasons why disparities in access to of health care exist in our society. A lot of low income people in America cannot afford health insurance and as such they neglect their health. Some people cannot afford money to buy medication. Because these people did not have insurance they lack a regular source of care. African Americans compared to white minority groups are less likely to seek medical care...
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...| Disparity of Healthcare for AIDS/HIV Patients | Lana Iris English 12312/15/14 | Disparity of Healthcare with Patients with AIDS/HIV For the last thirty years AIDS/HIV has been a controversial topic, but more recently, the disease itself has not been controversial but the disparity in receiving proper care both in prevention modalities and active treatment for the disease. While the Obama administration has taken steps toward the elimination of these disparities through the National HIV/AIDS Strategy and Implementation Plan, there is still much work to be done. This brief highlights underexplored explanations for these disparities and outlines possible solutions to begin addressing them. Oftentimes, popular culture has offered unfortunately erroneous explanations for the stark racial disparate impact of HIV/ AIDS. The mass media, for example, has suggested that black men “on the down low” infect black women by secretly sleeping with male partners, acting as a bisexual “bridge” between gay and straight communities. But public health scholars have found little support for this theory. Many may assume that black people suffer from greater HIV prevalence because they are considered less sexually responsible than whites. Yet several studies have shown that black women and black men who have sex with men—the two groups most severely impacted by HIV/AIDS—have similar numbers of sexual partners and use condoms as often as their white counterparts. Thus, behavioral risk factors...
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...Heath Status of The Latino or Hispanic Population Maria Funez NRS-429V Family-Center Health Promotions February 29, 2015 Heath Status of The Latino or Hispanic Population Hispanics migrate to the United States for many different reasons but one of the most powerful motivators of migration whether legal or illegal is economic instability within the countries of origin. Although, is dangerous crossing the Mexican boarder to reached the U.S. the hopes for a better life is a powerful motivator to risk one’s life. Once in the U.S. Many Hispanics assimilate to the American life by means of education, learning a trade, and obtaining good paying jobs. Others have a harder time to assimilate to American culture due to the inability to learn the language, lack of education, or skills to facilitate better paying jobs. The Hispanic or Latino population in the United States has become one of the fastest growing minority groups in the country. According, to the United States Census Bureau (2010), there are 50.5 millions Hispanic or Latinos living in the United States. (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010, p.2). Nevertheless, the Hispanic population is facing many challenges; some of those challenges are associated to health. In deed, the purpose of this paper is to discuss the health status, how is health promotions define, and what health disparities’ exist for the Hispanic or Latino population in the U.S. According to Smith et al. (as cited by Page-Reeves, Nifaratus, Mishra, Gingrich, &...
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...Health disparities are defined as unequal burdens in disease morbidity and mortality rates which are often experienced by the minority racial/ethnic groups. In today’s population ethnic and racial disparities exist for various and intricate reasons, which has grave impacts on an individual’s access to health care. These disparities have been around for several centuries and continue to be problematic despite the little progression being made with the revisions of preexisting health care laws. Laws and regulations are continually being revised to allow further health insurance expansions in hopes to reduce the ethnic and racial disparities for access to adequate care. Even with the increase in awareness, policymakers and clinicians have...
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...CULTURAL COMPETENCE IN HEALTH CARE: EMERGING FRAMEWORKS AND PRACTICAL APPROACHES Joseph R. Betancourt Massachusetts General Hospital–Harvard Medical School Alexander R. Green and J. Emilio Carrillo New York-Presbyterian Hospital–Weill Medical College of Cornell University FIELD REPORT October 2002 Support for this research was provided by The Commonwealth Fund. The views presented here are those of the authors and should not be attributed to The Commonwealth Fund or its directors, officers, or staff. Copies of this report are available from The Commonwealth Fund by calling our toll-free publications line at 1-888-777-2744 and ordering publication number 576. The report can also be found on the Fund’s website at www.cmwf.org. CONTENTS About the Authors.......................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments .......................................................................................................... iv Executive Summary......................................................................................................... v Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 Findings........................................................................................................................... 3 Defining Cultural Competence ..............................................................................
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...The Grand Challenges of Social Work initiative, launched by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, outlines ambitious yet achievable goals to address some of the most pressing social problems facing the United States today. One such challenge is Reducing Extreme Economic Inequality, an issue that has profound implications for both individuals and communities. Economic inequality refers to the uneven distribution of income and wealth within a population, and extreme inequality often leads to disparities in access to essential resources such as healthcare, education, and housing. In this reflection, I will explore how the challenge of reducing extreme economic inequality intersects with social welfare policy, analyze existing...
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