Question

You have been recently hired as an Epidemiological Research Assistant at your county’s Health Department. It is only day 1 on the job and you have been asked to develop a presentation for the County Commissioners describing a health disparity within your community.

In your report, you are asked to summarize the demographical information about the population, as well as summarize the health disparity. The County Commissioners ask that you present your findings in a PowerPoint® presentation.

In statistics or epidemiology, when you are asked to summarize an issue, this means that you must do so by using quantitative information. For this Assignment, please summarize by using only descriptive statistics. In order to procure this information, you will need to access databases supported by your State Public Health Department, CDC, CMS, etc.

You should pick a health disparity applicable to your future career.

Throughout your presentation, you must appropriately evaluate the effectiveness of descriptive statistics in summarizing the demographics of the population and the health disparity. Provide contextual information where appropriate.

Requirements

• Presentation is 10–12 slides in length.
• Use of the speaker’s notes area contains detailed information, while the slides appear uncluttered.
• Visual representations of data are used to summarize descriptive statistics of demographical information.
• Visual representations of data are used to summarize descriptive statistics of the health disparity.
• Descriptive statistics are evaluated for effectiveness. Contextual information is provided

Answer 1

Demographic information

•There is disparity in the community although improvement is possible.

•There is difference in the quality and access of health care based on the differences in the level of income, place of residence and education.

•Demographic trends in the community indicates that many people are vulnerable to suffering the effects of disparities in health care.

Health care disparities

•Disparity refers to the state of being unequal, as in rank, degree or age.

•Some patients in the community will receive fewer medications due to differences in individual choice, underlying disease processes, or systematic barriers to getting the required medications.

Action to reduce disparities

•There need to be promising interventions and programs aimed at reducing the burden of risk factors or disease for the community health problems.

•There is need to champion the implementation of effective programs and policies, as well as ensuring accountability.

Demographic analysis

•The population of the community is estimated to be approximately 100, 000 people.

•Approximately 33%, or about 20, 000 people identify themselves to be belonging to the minority population.

•Approximately 51%, or 50, 000, are women.

•Approximately 12% of the people not living residential care facilities or nursing homes, have a disability.

•Approximately 70, 000 people live in the rural areas while about 23, 000 live in the urban areas.

•An estimated 4% of the population aged between 18 to 44 identified themselves as gay, transgender, lesbian, or bisexual.

•The health of the community is influenced by the quality of education, quality of food, availability of health insurance, and the availability of transportation system.  

Why health care disparities matter?

•Health care disparities limit improvement in the quality of population health and quality of care, thus resulting in unnecessary costs.

•Countering disparities in health care is not only vital from the standpoint of social justice, but also for the improvement of the whole population.

Figure 1 Excess Medical Expenditures Due to Health Inequities Blacks 18% Other Expenditures 69% Excess Expenditures Due to Inequities 31% Hispanics 11% Asians 2% Total Expenditures 2003-2006 = $749 Billion "URCE: Lavec t τ Gas kin D·and R Pichard "The Econonnic Burden of Health Inequalities in the United Sta te-Joint Centerb' Political,nd Eco no mic Studies Se pte mber 2009,

Figure 3 Gaps Between Average Income of the Richest and Poorest Households in the United States $272,500 $60,100 $20,500 Poores t 20% of Households Middle 20% of Households Richest 5% of Households SOURCE: Eco no mic Policy Institute Ce nteion Eudgetand Rb licy Priotina ,se of US. Cene Burau Data.Income E potfedenltaxand Pulling Apart A Statel,-State Anal.ze of Incotne Trend: No.enter 15 2012 http://www.cbppongcre inde, cfr? =,ew&id=3360,

References:

•Lin, W.-C. (2007). Health disparity and gender preferences: Essays in economic demography.

•LaVeist, T. A. (2013). Minority populations and health: An introduction to health disparities in the united states. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass.