Health disparity has been defined by Healthy People 2020 as “a particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic, and/or environmental disadvantage. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender; age; mental health; cognitive, sensory, or physical disability; sexual orientation or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion.” (Healthy People 2020) After watching the assigned videos and articles, I define health disparity as discrimination and disadvantages that minorities face due to stereotypes or stigmas associated with their community. Race does not always matter in health status, but due to health disparities it has became a contributing factor. As an African American woman, I have seen family members misdiagnosed due to their race. There are health studies that say African Americans are at high risk for certain chronic diseases. I have found that health care workers will assume that a symptom is related to a certain chronic disease due to race rather than testing to actually get confirmation that the symptom is related. I believe that there are healthcare workers that generalize different communities due to studies or reports rather than seeing the patient as an individual.
References Disparities. Disparities | Healthy People 2020. (n.d.). Retrieved February 9, 2022, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Disparities
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Week 2 Discussion
Carlos Dhayer (students name)
Health Disparity: Race
Having a degree in healthcare and working as the director of operations at a specialty healthcare facility, health disparity is a term I have heard often. For me, health disparities are disadvantages in health that a patient is experiencing due to a variety of factors. David Williams, a professor at Harvard University, did an interview with the American Public Health Association (APHA) which was published on their YouTube channel and when asked about inequalities in health equity, Willams said, “there are large gaps in health by place, by race and ethnicity, and by socioeconomic status” (2018). Why do those gaps or disparities in health exists and who do they affect? To make improvements to our healthcare system to make the delivery of healthcare more equitable. We must try to understand why a person’s race, socioeconomic status, education level, and other factors influence their health now so we can address those disparities to improve everyone’s health outcomes in the United States in a manner that helps close those gaps so we can all live a longer, healthier life.
A year before his 2018 interview with the APHA, Williams presented a TED Talk where he stated, “every seven minutes, a black person dies prematurely in the United States” and goes on to say “over two-hundred black people die every single day who would not die if the health of blacks and whites were equal” (Williams, 2017). This statistic shocked me. I found it very interesting that Williams developed scales to measure how racism affected the health of African Americans in the U.S. and feel that public health professionals can use his work as an example when attempting to make necessary changes to reduce health disparities in our healthcare system. Race should not be a determinant of a person’s health, but since it has been identified as being an influential factor, we can aim to address areas of our healthcare system to reduce the health disadvantages associated with a person’s race. American Medical Association (AMA) suggests that “by acknowledging that race is a social construct and not an inherent risk factor for disease, we can truly make progress toward our goal of attaining health equity for all patients”
The authors of a 2017 Health Affairs article suggest, “if health disparities are to be reduced or eliminated, the playing field must be leveled” (Thompson et al., 2016). I agree. There must be a unified effort by government agencies, legislators, and community leaders as well as patients and their families to reduce health disparities by developing, implementing, and following new policies and programs that make the healthcare system more equitable for everyone. I hope that we see more acknowledgement of different health disparities and that we all see improvements in our healthcare system that allows for the opportunity for everyone to achieve the health they desire for themselves.