The purpose of this essay is to firstly give an overview of the existence of inequalities of health related to ethnicity, by providing some evidence that ethnic inequality in health is a reality in the society and include definitions of keywords. Secondly, I will bring forward arguments for and against on the major sociological explanations (racial discrimination, arefact, access to and quality of care) for the existence of health inequalities related to ethnicity. Thirdly, I would also like to take the knowledge learnt for this topic and brief outline how this may help me in future nursing practice. First of all, it is important to consider the whole aspect of ethnicity as it has other elements such as race and culture which goes along side this concept. Barry and Yuill (2008, p128) both state that ethnicity is “a common cultural heritage that is sociology learned and constructed”. This is what partly defines an individual socially. In terms of race, this is a biological differentiation between people which is determined by their genetic make-up, this differentiation can be based on skin colour or physical differences (Culley and Dyson, 2005). Whereas, according to Kelly and Nazroo (2008, p 161) they state that culture is tied to ethnicity, “it consist of shared experiences, beliefs and values”. This could involve also some sort of guidelines or norms which have been passed on generations. Looking at these three concepts may seem to be straightforward; however, todays healthcare profession seems to be struggling to take on these concepts in order provide “cultural competent care for their patients” (Kelly and Nazroo 2008, p. 159) First of all, there are many issues which influence the ethnic inequalities in health whi... ... middle of paper ... ... [Accessed 6 January 2012] 8. Hilton. C (1996) Collection ethnic group data for inpatients: is it useful? British Medical Journal (clinical research ed.) [pdf] 313 (7062), pp. 923 – 925. Available through: MEDLINE [Accessed 6 January 2012] 9. Kelly, M and Nazroo, J (2008) Ethnicity and health. In Graham, S. ed. Sociology as applied to medicine. 6th ed. London: Saunders, pp. 159 - 175 10. Smith, D et al (2000) Ethnic inequalities in health: A review of UK epidemiological evidence. Critical Public Health. [pdf] 10 (4) pp. 375 – 408. Available through: Taylor and Francis Online [Accessed 28 November 2011] 11. Steinbach, R (2009) Equality, equity and policy [online] Health Knowledge. Available at: http://www.healthknowledge.org.uk/public-health-textbook/medical-sociology-policy-economics/4c-equality-equity-policy/inequalities-distribution [Accessed 3 January 2012]
"Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health." Public Health Reports. July/August 1998: 372 EBSCOhost. Available <http://www.epnet.com/ehost/login.html>. (11 February 1999)
Health Disparities and Racism is an ongoing problem that is reflected among society. Health is when an individual is physically, mentally and social well being is complete. However health disparities seems to be a social injustice within various ethnicities. Health disparities range from age, race, income, education and many other things. Even though we realize health disparities are more noticeable depending on the region of country where they live in. Racism is one of the most popular factors, for why it’s known that people struggle with health.
McClimens, A., Brewster, J., & Lewis, R. (2014). Recognising and respecting patients ' cultural diversity. Nursing Standard (2014+), 28(28), 45.
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.
Williams, D. R., Lavizzo-Mourey, R., & Warren, R. C. (1994). The concept of race and health
Overtime, sociology has played an essential role in the aid of healthcare policies and procedures, along with playing a fundamental role in one’s understanding of health inequalities. This paper explores how sociology has played such a role in healthcare, whilst including discussions regarding the influence of social structures and inequalities in the health of an individual, their family and community, with the topic of health variations between social classes being the main focus of the discussion. A structured overview, review and evaluation of a specific health policy in the UK will also be provided within this paper. Sociology in healthcare. Sociology can be defined in a number of ways, due to its almost limitless scope (Denny, Earle,
“Racial and ethnic disparities are the differences in the rate of incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of diseases and other adverse health conditions that exist among specific racial and ethnic population groups” (Kominski, 2014, p. 95).
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 ...
The disparities in the healthcare system contribute to the overall health status disparities that affect ethnic and racial minorities. The sources of ethnic and racial healthcare disparities include cultural barriers, geography differences, or healthcare provider stereotyping. In addition, difficulties in communication between health care providers and patients, lack of access to healthcare providers, and lack of access to adequate health care coverage
There is a lack of conceptual clarity with cultural competence in the field and the research community. Cultural competence is seen as encompassing only racial and ethnic differences, and omitting other population groups who are ethnically and racially similar to providers, but are stigmatized or discriminated against, who are different in other identities, and have some differences in their health care needs that have resulted in health disparities. (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
Williams, D. R., & Jackson, P. (2014, April 1). Health Affairs. Social Sources Of Racial Disparities In Health. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/24/2/325.short
Gavin Turrell, B. F. (1999). Socioeconomic Determinants of Health:Towards a National Research Program and a Policy and Intervention Agenda. Brisbane: Queensland University of Technology.
Seeking to position lower socioeconomic status above racial/ethnic biases or vice versa is irresponsible to the goal of eliminating healthcare delivery differences at large. Both these are realities of a group of people who are not receiving the same level of care from the healthcare professionals although they exist within one of the most resource rich countries in the world, the United States. According to House & Williams (2000), “racism restricts and truncates socioeconomic attainment” (page, 106). This alone will hinder good health and spur on disparities as racism reduces the level of education and income as well as the prospect of better jobs. Blacksher (2008) cites the nation’s institutionalized racism as one of the leading factors
Despite the substantial developments in diagnostic and treatment processes, there is convincing evidence that ethnic and racial minorities normally access and receive low quality services compared to the majority communities (Lum, 2011). As such, minority groups have higher mortality and morbidity rates arising from both preventable and treatable diseases judged against the majority groups. Elimination of both racial and ethnic disparities is mainly politically sensitive, but plays an important role in the equitable access of services, including the health care ones without discrimination. In addition, accountability, accessibility, and availability of equitable health care services are crucial for the continually growing
“Questioning the ostensibly unquestionable premises of our way of life is arguably the most urgent of the services we owe our fellow humans and ourselves” (Bauman, 1998, p. 5). As a result, my way of life and the health care services I provide are shaped by my personal assumptions and beliefs while influenced by my father, mother, and their ancestors. Consequently, this paper will evaluate my personal assumptions and beliefs regarding my culture, religion, and diversity and how these factors influence how I view myself, patients, members, and my community. Lastly, an assessment and plan of care for specific individuals, groups, and communities, using appropriate epidemiological principles will be presented.