Seeking care in any type of health care facility is usually not the most favorite activity of any individual. It is likely viewed as a “necessary evil,” something that must be done but is not pleasantly anticipated. Making the encounter between health care professional and client both helpful and therapeutic is a challenge. The major problems with treating the uninsured clients are continuity of care, and collecting payments for services. For those living in poverty, this is especially true. In my research, the one constant that the client’s expressed about visiting a doctor was embarrassment, fear, anger, and anxiety. Embarrassment in not having health insurance, fear of the unknown procedures and diagnosis, anger at being in such a vulnerable position, and anxiety about the cost, payment obligations and the impact on the family’s budget. A helping interview is a conversation between a health care professional and a person in need and is a common tool of communication in any health care setting. Three components of the helping interview are 1) the orientation of the professional and the client to each other, 2) the identification of the client’s problem, and 3) the resolution of the client’s problem (Tamparo & Lindh). Control is a critical factor in the helping interview, and should not be abused. The helping interview clearly involve people in an unequal partnership. The clients should be empowered as much as possible by the experience in the helping interview, since empowered clients are likely to participate more fully in their care and return to health faster (Tamparo & Lindh). The financially challenged client already feels inadequate, useless, powerless, embarrassment, fear, and anger. So the interview may not illicit ... ... middle of paper ... ... to secure the basic needs of survival. Research shows that racial or ethnic minorities have—on average—poorer access to health insurance and health care than those who are white. Notwithstanding cultural diversity, race, ethnicity, or religion, understanding the roles of citizenship status and language is important for developing policies to help reduce disparities in health coverage and access. A person’s citizenship status (e.g., citizen, legal immigrant, or undocumented alien) affects eligibility for benefits like Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and the ability to obtain a job that offers health insurance benefits. English proficiency affects a person’s ability to communicate in our English-dominant society, and more specifically, to discuss medical problems with a physician or nurse or to complete an insurance application.
Lee, S. &. (2009). Disparities in access to health care among non-citizens in the United States. Health Sociology Review , 18 (3), 307-317.
There are an estimated 11.1 million undocumented immigrants currently residing in the United States. The current healthcare model pertains to all U.S citizens, but what are the parameters and regulations regarding those who live here illegally? The purpose of this paper is to not only answer this question, but also to address concerns regarding the provision of health care benefits, rights, and our ethical responsibilities to this population.
Racial disparities in The United States health care system are widespread and well documented. Social and economic inequalities between racial minorities and their white counter parts have lead to lower life expectancy rates, higher infant mortality rates, and overall poorer health for people of color. As the nation’s population continues to become increasingly diverse, these disparities are likely to grow if left unaddressed. The Affordable Care Act includes various provisions that specifically aim to reduce inequalities for racially and ethnically marginalized groups. These include provisions in the Senate bill and House bill that aim to expand coverage, boost outreach and education programs, establish standards for culturally and linguistically appropriate practices, and diversify the health care workforce. The ACA, while not a perfect solution for eliminating health disparities, serves as an important first step and an unprecedented opportunity to improve health equity in the United States.
Health disparity is one of the burdens that contributes to our healthcare system in providing equal healthcare to everyone regarding of race, age, race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status to achieve good health. Research reveals that racial and ethnic minorities are likely to receive lower quality of healthcare services than white Americans.
As the Latino population continues to grow the chances of a medical professional providing assistance also rises. According to recent surveys and studies, “A frequent challenge for many Hispanic patients is describing the degree of their pain and discomfort to healthcare providers” (Erickson A., 2006). One of the most important aspects of treating patients is being able to be understood and having the patient comprehend their condition. Anderson et al. (2003) conducted a survey which reported that 39% of Latinos had communication problems with their physician: they felt that their doctor did not listen to everything they had said, they did not understand the doctor and they had questions but did not ask them. Moreover, current trends show common disparities amongst the population. Centers for Disease Control (2015) say Hispanics are more susceptible to suffer from the following: obesity , diabetes , periodontitis , and more likely to have unchecked HIV in
Healthcare disparities are when there are inequalities or differences of the conditions of health and the quality of care that is received among specific groups of people such as African Americans, Caucasians, Asians, or Hispanics. Not only does it occur between racial and ethnic groups, health disparities can happen between males and females as well. Minorities have the worst healthcare outcomes, higher death rates, and are more prone to terminal diseases. For African American men and women, some of the most common health disparities are diabetes, cancer, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and HIV infections. Some factors that can contribute to disparities are healthcare access, transportation, specialist referrals, and non-effective communication with patients. There is also much racism that still occurs today, which can be another reason African Americans may be mistreated with their healthcare. “Although both black and white patients tended not to endorse the existence of racism in the medical system, African Americans patients were more likely to perceive racism” (Laveist, Nickerson, Bowie, 2000). Over the years, the health care system has made improvements but some Americans, such as African Americans, are still being treating unequally when wanting the same care they desire as everyone else.
The growing number of uninsured and underinsured is on the rise. In 1979, 11 million African americans were uninsured (Jaffe 10). Today, the number is 15 million and it is increasing every year (Jaffe 11). According to the Department of Health and Human Services, thirteen million blacks in America have health care and fourteen million do not (Fitzgerald 31). Also, those who are insured today may be at risk tomorrow if their employer drops coverage, or the head of the household changes or loses their job. Most blacks in the United States who are uninsured simply cannot receive health care at an affordable price because their employer does not offer it and self-insurance cost much more. The lack of adequate insurance can be devastating to families both in financial terms and in terms of timely access to needed health care (Jaffe 12). Altogether, collection agencies report every year that most blacks are in debt due to unpaid medical bills, because they are not insured or they are underinsured.
Health disparity is one of the major concerns in the provision of quality care and access to healthcare which directly the life expectancy of the nation as about ethnicity and race. However, describing the health outcomes or status of an ethnic group in the population would help in a better evaluation of the disparities that occur within minority groups in our society. “Racial/ethnic disparities in health and quality of and access to health care are a well-documented and persistent problem. Across many indicators of health, access to care, and health care quality, racial/ethnic minorities fare worse than whites, and each population faces specific challenges”(James et al., 2017, p. 1).
No citizen shale ever be ignored no matter their race, state of health, or class. In the US “barriers generally stem from forces within the organizational environment of the health care delivery system or within the broader social system itself” (Barr, 2011, p. 273). This is why health policy scholars need to study health disparities so that equal care can ultimately be reached. Currently some disparities that are obvious in society are unequal dispersion and quality of care between racial groups, genders, and those with low middle class income. The health care system needs to be fixed and in order for that to happen health scholars must study better procedures so that the best possible outcome can be reached for the American
Many assessment tools and interviewing skills are available to the clinical social worker within a mental health setting. This paper will examine one such assessment tool, the competency based assessment, and its applicability in a mental health setting. A comparison will be made between this advanced assessment method and a generalist social work assessment. Interviewing people who have mental health concerns can offer challenges for clinical social workers. Several interviewing techniques that can help with some of these challenges will be outlined.
According to the institute of Medicine (IOM), racism is a problem in the health care system, that is, the difference between the quality of health care received by minorities and non-minorities is due to racism. IOM is a nonprofit organization that advises the federal government and the public on science policy. It released a report that on average, minorities receive a lower quality of care, even when factors such as income and type of health insurance are accounted for. The report by IOM states that racial stereotypes and prejudice are the cause of the health care disparities. The article by IOM points ...
Today’s skills session on social work interviewing skills covered the uniqueness of social work interviewing in comparison to interviews conducted in professions such as the police, doctors, employers, etc. It covered also different types of questioning and how to paraphrase. Another area covered was, what to avoid when interviewing a service user and the use of silence. I leant that interview skills are fundamental in social work and social work interviewing is unique. Social workers empathize with clients because of their knowledge of the client group and the need of help to alleviate their problems. Empathy however does not equate accepting that the client is right in what they have done or that the social worker is condoning their actions. Empathy relates to the issue of ‘trusting’ and ‘believing’ the client. In as much as a social worker should seek to establish trust in the relationship, this does not necessarily mean they should believe
Interviewing and research skills are needed within the social work profession. Effective communication skills are one of the most crucial components of a social worker’s job. Every day, social workers must communicate with clients to gain information, convey critical information and make important decisions (Zeiger, 2017). This interview experience was an opportunity to explore the daily challenges and rewards of a licensed social worker. I was excited for the opportunity to interview a social worker in the gerontology sector as this is a specialty I am considering. This meeting allowed me to explore the educational steps of being a social worker, practices of the agency, the clients who are served, and the challenges the agency has.
Cormier, S, Nurius, P & Osborn, C 2012, Interviewing and change strategies for helpers: fundamental skills and cognitive behavioural interventions, 7th edn, Brooks Cole, Belmont, California.
After watching the video tape, I realised that I was quite good at using questioning skill to help the client. The closed and open questions used in the interview were considered to be acceptable and appropriate. I believe that my personal experiences have shaped my ability to appropriately apply this skill in counselling. When I was younger, I used to listen to my grandmother talking about her past and the old tales that she had heard of. I...