Question

What are some strategies for combatting health disparities? How do these strategies promote a more equitable healthcare system? Your response should be at least 200 words in length.

Answer 1

Health is defined as a state of complete (physical,mental,social and emotional ) well-being and it is not merely an absence of disease, illness or infirmity.

Health disparities indicates a burden of disease or illness persists in a particular group of population. The most common causes of health disparities are:

- Poverty, age, sex ( male/ female), socio economic status, life style changes, the ability to access health care, ethnicity.

Poverty a prime factor as growing population needs access to health care services. In certain remote areas the people cannot access health care services as the availability o, accessibility of services are difficult. People categorized under poor socio economic status has less affordability to spend for the acute and chronic illness .

Strategies for combatting health disparities:

1) Say No to discrimination:

Equality forms a basic means to prevent discrimination in health care services. Health is fundamental right for all individual. Health equity can be achieved by rendering care irrespective of any differences like : color, caste,Creed,economic status.

2) Community education :

Education is a backbone to prevent health disparities. Educating community to prevent and promote their standards of living safeguards people from minor and serious illnesses. Ex) A sudden outbreak of epidemic disease Ebola can be prevented from transmission using effective health educational programme .

3) Facilitate patient responsibility :

Responsibility flows from patient commitment to cure his disease and compliance to disease management. For ex ) Morbid obese client with atherosclerosis accepts treatment recommendation of regular exercise, dietary management, drug compliance.

4) Improving communication skills between health care professionals and community:

Health education given face to face are more effective than written texts. Research studies shows person with high literacy rate understand the disease context and it s management more than the person with less literacy.

5) Rendering incentives to health care providers:

Health care providers can be remunerated with periodical incentives based on their care rendered to the community. Incentive based on outcome or prognosis should be avoided to promote healthcare gap.

6) Effective usage of health care technology:

The rapid development of information technology plays an vital role in delivering quality care even to the persons in remote area or for those who cannot access health care services. Telemedicine services helps providers to see patient and rule out their illness and promote health.

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