Health DisparitiesIntroduction
When there is a difference between groups of people, we refer it as health disparities. The differences between these groups always affect the frequency of diseases in attacking the group, how frequently death hits the group and the number of people getting sick (Porter, 2004). The populations that are victims of disparities comprises of ethnic and racial minorities, the rural areas cohabitants, children, elderly and women, with people with disabilities. Some countries describe health disparities as inequality within the healthcare. This refers to the gaps experienced in the healthcare and quality health across ethnic, racial, socioeconomic and sexual orientation groups (Barr, 2008). In America, the documentation of health disparities in the minority groups such as the Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, and Asian Americans is always experienced. As compared to the whites, the minority groups always have a very high number of incidences of the chronic diseases and higher mortality, and the poorer outcomes in health.
Cancer is the most common incidence in United States amongst the diseases that are racial and ethnic disparities experienced mostly by the Africans Americans and estimated ten percent higher than amongst the whites. Moreover, the Latinos and African Americans adults have an approximately twice risk as the white counterparts in developing of diabetes (Williams, 2011). The minorities will also be affected by higher rates of the HIV/AIDS, cardiovascular disease, and the infant mortality, unlike the white counterparts. In the developing world, health disparities are evident, whereby; the access to better healthcare equitably is cited to be crucial so as to achieve most of the Millennium development goals.
PERSONAL STATEMENT
The unique cultural and geographical challenges and service delivery in the rural America always hamper the effectiveness of the current models in delivery. The rural health needs behavior remains still or constant due to lack of professional staffs that are available readily. Furthermore, there is lack of linguistically and cultural competent providers with lack of confidentiality, social stigma, reimbursement and financing issues (Cook et al. 2009). For instance, they lack funding and uninsured. Further, they lack integration of character or behavior (substance and mental use) with the physical health, minimum prevention efforts, and difficulties in transportation such as the distances and very low provider’s numbers. In America, mental health is believed to be very essential whereby all aspects of the mental health systems should be reflective of diversity of communities served by them and the mental health agencies striving on becoming and remaining a linguistically and culturally competent (Kebede-Francis, 2011). A linguistically and culturally competent system of mental health will incorporate skills, policies, and attitudes in ensuring that it addresses the needs of families and consumers effectively with diverse beliefs, values, and the sexual orientations. To add on that, the backgrounds varied by religion, ethnicity, race and language. Provide viable research questions and hypotheses
• What are the strategies used to overcoming these health care differences?
• How do the differences in the healthcare received by people contribute to the disparities in health?
• What is the government doing to ensure that a health disparity does not exist in the modern world?
Hypotheses
The hypotheses of these health disparities are that, the institutions that encourage the disparities exist and should be changed and be directed to always promote equality (Ver et al. 2004). Furthermore, the procedure or process of revoking health disparities should include all the communities’ citizens so as to see it succeed.
Methodology
The wide spread agreement on the collection of data that is valid and reliable is fundamental by building health block for the health insurance plans and the health care organizations, in the collaboration with the key stakeholders to identify gaps and variations in the health care experienced with diverse populations and the individuals who are at risk with certain conditions. Through collection of data, ethnicity, race, and the primary language on health insurance plans will increase their level of understanding of healthcare disparities thus making strides in advancing healthcare quality that all Americans are provided with.
The provision of guidance on the technical and methodological areas was related to the collection of data. For instance, the analyzing and interpreting of the primary and multiple categories of races that improved the quality of ethnicity and race data in the vital statistic records; conduction of targeted studies or oversampling; development of a methodology so as to improve the quantity and the participation data collection rates; calculation of rate using census denominators; validation of data collection tools, identification of mechanisms so as to augment the existing samples in targeting specific ethnic group or race; and lastly strengthening capacities of health statistics in the enterprise by improving the access to HHS data on the ethnic and racial minority on the subpopulations and the disseminating the research findings that are related to the populations.
Addressing Health Disparities Through the development of better strategies and quality improvement, AHRQ is currently supporting a number of research initiatives that develop new tools for boosting health care quality and the new strategies which provides and they use them to incorporate the evidence into every day’s activities. Several initiatives have placed a very special emphasis on the support to research which helps in addressing the ethnic and racial disparities in their health (Liburd, 2010). Several of these initiatives place a special emphasis on supporting research that can help address racial and ethnic disparities in health. In fiscal year 1999, AHRQ directed approximately $2 million towards this specific objective. In fiscal year 2000, this investment is expected to increase by $10 million, including • Funding for the excellence centers and develops the practical tools that eliminate the ethnic and racial disparities.• Supporting research involving partnerships between the academic and researchers with care providers serving predominantly minority groups.• Support to training the minority and offer health services researchers in addressing the priorities to be identified by the head of state and his initiative in eliminating ethnic and racial disparities in Health. AHRQ through research can help in closing the gap that is between what we all know and what can be done to address the disparities.EVALUATION METHOD
Programmatic or division components of NIA are typically evaluated after four years. The overall effectiveness are usually evaluated by the NIA and assessed of their component or division and then determined with the changes that are warranted for the future progress. Furthermore, evaluation consists of three primary tasks;a. There is a review of the extant information on the evaluation entity which included the comparisons which was across the previous request that is published for the applications (RFAs) summary of accomplishments and activities, and the commentary produced by the NIA staff program. b. It guides interviews with the Principal investigations (PIs), which was supplemented by the written responsesc. There is a deliberation by an expert panel that includes members. Members of the panel meet through teleconference and also typically once on the NIA site. The second or third conference gives way for recommendations to be generated. Thereafter, it is included in a subsequent report to NIA director. The report is then shared with the NAC on the Aging (Notaro, 2012). The evaluation is successfully continued by NIA setting aside the funding from NIH division of the program coordination, strategic initiatives, planning in efforts to improve the NIA program effectiveness, efficiency, and the attainment.Conclusion
The NIA leadership uses and utilizes information from the available evaluations in planning the future initiatives, prioritizing of the funding, identification of the collaboration opportunities, and the report progress. The evaluation of results provides the Aging National Advisory Council with more skills and information that will then be used as a tool to advise the NIA director according to my research, there is anticipation to apply the same type of evaluation process to a minority area whereby health disparities will be covered within the horizon area in 5 years and application of the strategic plan. Through this plan, I am so pleased to have shared my best insights in the future research on the disparities of health among the older adults and the role played by the NIA (National Institute on Aging) in the realization of the future.
References
Barr, D. A. (2008). Health disparities in the United States: Social class, race, ethnicity, and health. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. Williams, R. A. (2011). Healthcare disparities at the crossroads with healthcare reform. New York, NY: Springer. Kosoko-Lasaki, S., Cook, C. T., & O'Brien, R. L. (2009). Cultural proficiency in addressing health disparities. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Kebede-Francis, E. (2011). Global health disparities: Closing the gap through good governance. Sudbury, Mass: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Ver, P. M., Perrin, E., & Ebrary, Inc. (2004). Eliminating health disparities: Measurement and data needs. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. Liburd, L. C. (2010). Diabetes and health disparities: Community-based approaches for racial and ethnic populations. New York: Springer Pub. Co. Notaro, S. R. (2012). Health disparities among under-served populations: Implications for research, policy, and praxis. Bingley, UK: Emerald. Fitzpatrick, J. J., Villarruel, A. M., & Porter, C. P. (2004). Eliminating health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities in the United States. New York: Springer Pub. Co.
