These disparities affect:
Research shows that patients who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups experience barriers that limit their access to care, and affect the quality of their care, more frequently than non-minorities; this includes having an increased risk of being uninsured or underinsured, lacking access to care, and experiencing worse health outcomes for conditions that are treatable and even preventable.
Those conditions include diabetes, hypertension, asthma, obesity, heart disease, and more. As a result, members of racial and ethnic minority groups suffer with higher rates of illness and death. And the disparities infiltrate a wide variety of healthcare services.
Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, “…the life expectancy of non-Hispanic/Black Americans is four years lower than that of White Americans. The COVID-19 pandemic, and its disproportionate impact among racial and ethnic minority populations is another stark example of these enduring health disparities.”
Social determinants of health
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines social determinates of health as, “…the conditions in the environments where people are born, live, learn, work, play, worship, and age that affect a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.” Five categories are identified including:
These factors have a major impact on people’s ability to get and stay healthy, to access healthcare, medicine, and healthy foods; to obtain quality housing; to access quality education; and to live without being subjected to personal and systematic discrimination affecting their lives and well-being.
Healthcare organizations should take action
To combat this serious problem, ECRI suggests that healthcare organizations implement policies designed to identify and eliminate racism and discrimination from within the organization. These include:
Check back here for future blogs that will explore in greater detail ECRI’s research and recommendations on this important topic.
For more information today, read ECRI’s Deep Dive, Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health and Healthcare Executive Brief, and reach out to us at clientservices@ecri.org to be connected to an ECRI expert.