QUESTION:
What are health disparities?
ANSWER:
Health disparities refers to the gaps in the quality of health and health care access between one population and another.
QUESTION:
What is meant by ‘quality of health’?
ANSWER:
The quality of health refers to the degree of one’s physical condition.
QUESTION:
What factors contribute to gaps in quality of health?
ANSWER:
Reasons for disparities in the quality of health are numerous but can include lack of education, lack in cancer screenings, lack in vaccinations, problems with patient-provider communication and provider discrimination, among other things.
QUESTION:
What is meant by ‘health care access’?
ANSWER:
Health care access refers to the ability to obtain care, services and supplies related to the health of an individual. Health care includes, but is not limited to, preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic or rehabilitative care, and drugs, devices and equipment necessary for the proper functioning of the body.
QUESTION:
What factors contribute to gaps in access to health care?
ANSWER:
Reasons for disparities in access to health care are many, but can include lack of insurance coverage, lack of a regular source of care, lack of financial resources, legal barriers, structural barriers, scarcity of providers, linguistic barriers, low health literacy, lack of diversity in the health care workforce, etc.
QUESTION:
What are some populations affected by health disparities?
ANSWER:
Health disparities affect a wide range of populations, including differing ethnicities and races, genders, sexual orientations, and income and education levels.
QUESTION:
What are the existing health disparities where I live?
ANSWER:
The 2009 Health Disparities Profiles examines key health indicators at the state level. All you need to do is select your state and the health disparities experienced in that area will be shown.
QUESTION:
What are the existing health disparities that individuals of my own ethnicity and/or race experience?
ANSWER:
The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Minority Health provides a search engine to research such topics. All you need to do is type in a search term (ex: breast cancer, colon cancer, etc), and choose an ethnicity from the scroll down menu, then click the search button.
QUESTION:
Where can I learn about the history of U.S. health disparities?
ANSWER:
To learn about the history of health disparities in the United States CLICK HERE.
QUESTION:
What needs to be achieved in order to put an end to health disparities?
ANSWER:
In order to put an end to health disparities, there needs to be equal access for all to high-quality care.
