HLT 205V Benchmark Assignment: Disparity Analysis Chart

HLT 205V Benchmark Assignment: Disparity Analysis Chart

 

HLT 205V Week 6 Complete Work Latest-GCU

HLT 205 Week 6 Topic 6 Discussion 1

Define health care disparities. Where and how do they exist? Identify at least three contributing factors. How could we change this?  Make sure to use a reference to support your response.

HLT 205 Week 6 Topic 6 Discussion 2

Describe the historical aspects and methods for identifying underserved populations. Discuss how you would improve these methods, track a population’s progression, and/or determine whether a population is no longer underserved.

HLT 205 Week 6 Assignment Benchmark Assignment: Disparity Analysis Chart

Details:

This is a benchmark assignment.

As a health care professional, it is important not only to be aware of underserved populations but the similarities and differences among these populations. In this assignment, you will create a chart in Microsoft Word that profiles two minority populations, which can be selected from the options on the Office of Minority Health (OMH) website:

The Office of Minority Health

The Office of Minority Health

The Office of Minority Health

http://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/omh/browse.aspx?lvl=2&lvlid=26

Your profile for each population needs to contain information for the following categories:

Demographics: How large is the group’s population size within the United States? What is the age range that comprises the largest segment of the population?

Cultural Norms: Lifestyle and diet habits that may have a significant impact on health.

Religious and Spiritual Beliefs: Are there belief systems that may impact health-related decisions?

Primary Insurance Coverage: What portion of the population has coverage?

Education: What is the average education level for this population?

Medical Conditions: Are there medical conditions common to the population?

Outreach: What efforts have been made to increase medical access to the population?

Based on the chart’s information, write a 800-1,000 word  paper that discusses the following:

The similarities and differences of these two groups with regard to accessing health care.

As health care professionals, could we address these factors so as to increase trust in these populations?

What role do you believe cultural proficiency among health care professionals may have in mitigating the challenges in providing service to these groups?

While GCU style format is not required for the body of this assignment, solid academic writing is expected, and in-text citations and references should be presented using GCU documentation guidelines, which can be found in the GCU Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Please refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.

 

MORE INFO 

Healthcare disparities in underserved populations.

Introduction

Healthcare disparities are serious problems that affect people of all races, demographics and socioeconomic backgrounds. Health disparities can be defined as the difference in health status between groups of people with similar characteristics. This means that some groups have higher rates of disease, disability, and death than others. Healthcare disparities occur when an illness or injury is more likely to happen to those who are most vulnerable or least able to access treatment. These differences may be caused by a combination of personal circumstances, including income levels; education level or lack thereof; social determinants of health (e.g., environment); language barriers; culture barriers; discrimination and violence against certain groups such as LGBT individuals or people who do not speak English well enough for them to understand doctors’ orders during an emergency room visit.”

Social determinants of health

The social determinants of health are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning and wellbeing outcomes. They include income; employment; education; housing (including affordable housing); food security; access to healthy foods or nutrition; physical activity opportunities for children and adults as well as access to transportation.

In the United States there has been growing recognition that these factors play an important role in determining whether you will have good quality of life or not.

Health disparities

Health disparities are differences in health status that exist among specific population groups. Health disparities can be the result of social determinants of health (SDOH), which are social, economic and political factors that affect people’s access to and use of health care services. For example, SDOH may account for differences in rates at which individuals smoke or drink alcohol; or why some people have a higher risk for heart disease than others.

Health disparities also may be caused by other factors including:

• Race/ethnicity (e.g., African Americans tend to be more likely than white people to die from stroke)

• Sex (e.g., women who give birth via cesarean section tend not to receive adequate prenatal care)

• Socioeconomic status (e.g., low income families often don’t have access to affordable quality affordable housing).

Environment

Access to healthcare. Access to healthcare is a necessity, but it’s also an opportunity for people who are less likely to have access to health care. In fact, there are 10 million Americans without health insurance and another 26 million with inadequate coverage—and this number is expected to increase by 20 million over the next decade unless something changes.

Access to healthy food. Poor nutrition can make it difficult for individuals and families with limited income or resources to eat well; however, poor nutrition can lead not only directly (e.g., lack of vitamins) but also indirectly (e.g., reduced ability). For example, if one person has anemia while another has hypertension because they both lack iron in their diet due to low levels of vitamin B12 intake then both individuals might be at risk for developing these diseases simultaneously – even though they may not know each other personally!

Health Literacy

Health literacy is the ability to read, understand and use information in order to make appropriate health decisions. It’s a key factor in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and it can help you stay healthy by improving your understanding of what it means for you to be covered by insurance.

The National Center for Health Statistics reports that about half of Americans have at least some low level of health literacy—meaning they are unable to understand written instructions or materials related to their own health care needs or those from doctors or other professionals who work in this field. People with low levels of health literacy are more likely than others:

• To suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes;

• To not seek treatment when needed because they don’t know what questions should be asked;

Language

Language barriers are a major barrier to health care. In the United States, over 80% of people speak only English at home and more than half do not speak any other language at all. This means that many people’s access to health care relies on their ability to communicate with doctors or nurses in English—and if they don’t understand what you’re saying, it’s hard for them to help you out.

Language can also affect how easy it is for someone who speaks only Spanish or Cantonese (or any other non-English language) to get insurance coverage through work or school since those types of policies often require an applicant’s ability to speak English well enough for him/herself not just for his/her family but also others close by (such as neighbors).

Culture

The term “culture” is used to describe the group’s beliefs and practices, which can include language, ethnicity, religion and traditions. In general, culture influences the way people think and feel about health care.

For example: If a person grew up in an environment where they were taught that it was okay to get sick but not die from it (e.g., “If you fall off your bike then just get back on”), your body will probably react differently than if you had been taught that death was inevitable as soon as you fell off your bike

Discrimination and violence

Discrimination can take many forms. It may be subtle, such as when a doctor or nurse is rude to you because of your race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation and more. Or it may be overt like when someone calls you offensive names because of the color of your skin or the way that you look.

Discrimination can also be based on age (elderly people are more likely to feel uncomfortable with doctors), disability (people who are differently abled feel like they won’t fit in with others), class status (poor people often don’t have access to health care) and religion (some religions prohibit medical care).

Discrimination also occurs in other ways such as political affiliation – if someone doesn’t believe what you believe then there could be tension between both parties which could affect how much help they get from each other during this time

Public Policy

Public policy is a set of laws, rules, regulations and guidelines that are put in place by the government to improve health outcomes and reduce health disparities. Public policies can be used to increase access to care, improve patient safety, reduce hospitalizations among racial/ethnic minorities, boost the use of medication-assisted treatment for mental illness among whites who abuse opioids (OxyContin), improve maternal health outcomes among black women with high blood pressure or diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM), promote healthy behaviors among youth ages 9-17 years old who have been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) or Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) respectively.

Examples include:

Conclusion

I believe in the power of education, and I believe that the best way to help all people is by educating them. Healthcare disparities are a serious issue that must be addressed, not only by government but also by individuals and communities. The most effective way to reverse these disparities is through public policy that aims at improving health literacy among underserved populations through programs such as reading aloud with children at bedtime or working with community groups in order to reduce violence against women.