Improving the health of individuals in the most disadvantaged communities leads to lower taxes and healthcare costs. Disparities in health
lead to unnecessary health care costs that increase financial burdens on taxpayers through the form of Medicaid and emergency room use
.
What is the problem with health disparities?
A significant problematic consequence of the existence of health disparities in the United States is that these
differences perpetuate substantive inequities
. Those who suffer from these inequities are thereby less able to enjoy their rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
What factors influence today’s disparities in health?
Many factors contribute to health disparities, including genetics, access to care, poor quality of care, community features (e.g., inadequate access to healthy foods, poverty, limited personal support systems and violence), environmental conditions (e.g., poor air quality), language barriers and health behaviors.
What are examples of health care disparities?
- Mortality.
- Life expectancy.
- Burden of disease.
- Mental health.
- Uninsured/underinsured.
- Lack of access to care.
How can nurses impact health disparities?
One of the most powerful things nurses can do to reduce health disparities is to
advocate for their patients
. This may include advocating for patient rights, appropriate resources, interpreters, distress screening or even cultural-competence training in your workplace.
What are three of the consequences of health disparities?
At a micro-level, health disparities rob individuals of good health and their sense of well-being and personal security. They deprive communities of human resources and money. They
drive up costs, decrease productivity, and diminish the quality of life for everyone
.
Social determinants of health such as poverty, unequal access to health care, lack of education, stigma, and racism are underlying,
contributing factors of health inequities
. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is committed to achieving improvements in people’s lives by reducing health inequities.
What are the 5 health disparities?
- Race and ethnicity.
- Gender.
- Sexual identity and orientation.
- Disability status or special health care needs.
- Geographic location (rural and urban)
How can health care disparities be improved?
- Raising public and provider awareness of racial/ethnic disparities in care;
- Expanding health insurance coverage;
- Improving the capacity and number of providers in underserved communities; and.
- Increasing the knowledge base on causes and interventions to reduce disparities.
How can nurse practitioners reduce health disparities?
She also discussed some of the ways a nurse practitioner can help reduce health disparities – from
recognizing the unique and complex needs of patients with comorbidities, to facilitating physical therapy and physical activity
.
What is a health disparity in nursing?
Health disparities are
sustained, worsened health outcomes of a specific disadvantaged group
. These health differences can be health-related quality of life, rates or severity of disease, disability, mortality, injury, or violence.
What role does the nurse have in promoting health preventing illness and addressing disparities in health care?
Nurses play an important role in
monitoring the responses of the patient to the prescribed therapy
and in providing services to facilitate the patient’s recovery or improve quality of life while living with the effects of an illness or injury.
What are the 4 major factors that affect the health of a community?
- the social and economic environment,
- the physical environment, and.
- the person’s individual characteristics and behaviours.
What are the 6 factors that influence your health?
There are many different factors that can affect your health. These include things like
housing, financial security, community safety, employment, education and the environment
. These are known as the wider determinants of health.
What are the four factors that affect health?
The components are Diet: what and how we eat; Environment: how we select and modify our surroundings; Activity: how we exercise, rest and sleep; and Psychology: how we view ourselves and interact with others.
