Analyzing a Current Health Care Problem

Healthcare disparities exist among disadvantaged populations, especially populations with disabilities and low socioeconomic status (SES). This article analyzes health disparities among disadvantaged people, identifies the contributing factors, and discusses and compares potential solutions, as well as the potential consequences of ignoring healthcare disparities. It also explains the ethical considerations surrounding the implementation of a potential solution and what would be necessary to implement it.

Health Disparities among Disadvantaged Populations

Health disparities are the notable differences in the way individuals access healthcare services, outcomes in mental and physical health, access to healthcare services, and health status between various social groups (Aranda et al., 2021). Disadvantaged populations, including people with disadvantages and people with low SES, are prone to experiencing diverse health disparities. For instance, people with disabilities and individuals with low SES face multiple barriers in their attempts to access healthcare services as compared to privileged people. This leads to delays in access to care services or access to low-quality and inadequate care, with notable differences in health outcomes. An example of notable health disparities exist in cancer care, including racial inequities in access to care and cancer care outcomes (Patel et al., 2020).

Health disparities among disadvantaged populations are majorly caused by social and economic factors. Social and economic factors such as low income, poverty, low levels of education, inadequate and poor quality of health care, and unhealthy living environments increase levels of exposure, leading to poor health outcomes (Rigolon et al., 2021). Other social groups, such as racial minorities and people with disabilities, are likely to experience health disparities due to systemic inequalities, including discrimination due to physical appearance, bias, and lack of structural support.

Analysis of Health Disparities for Disadvantaged Populations

Existing research evidence relates health disparities, including the prevalence of certain diseases and conditions, delayed care, and poor health outcomes to disadvantaged groups, including individuals with disabilities, low-income populations, and racial minority groups (Rigolon et al., 2021). Health disparities may occur within and outside of the healthcare system. They may also be experienced at all levels of the healthcare system, including access to and utilization of healthcare services, both curative and preventive services. Due to their low SES, most patients and people face major patient barriers, including a lack of insurance coverage and a regular provider, reducing their access to and utilization of preventive services (Nelson et al., 2020).

The issue of health disparities for disadvantaged individuals is important to me as a nurse due to the unequal experiences they lead to. Compared to privileged groups, disadvantaged individuals may face more health conditions and worse outcomes. They also live in environments that further health inequities. Most importantly, these health disparities pose significant public health challenges that impact the larger society (Rigolon et al., 2021). As a nurse, I have a sacred duty to provide and promote interventions and solutions that can help achieve health equity.

Potential Solutions for Health Disparities for Disadvantaged Populations

There are multiple solutions with the potential to address health disparities among disadvantaged populations. A major solution would be to improve the financial support level focused on improving access to healthcare services. This would include the expansion of the currently available health insurance coverage programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. The funding should also focus on establishing new and supporting existing community health centers within low SES neighborhoods to improve local access to curative and preventive healthcare services.

A second solution would be to provide disadvantaged populations with health education and promotion programs to create awareness of available care services, including preventive and curative care services. Health education would significantly improve screening rates for chronic conditions and support early implementation of targeted interventions. A third potential solution to addressing and reducing health disparities for disadvantaged populations would be to redesign the built environment to make it healthier. This would involve improving drainage systems, better housing with improved lighting and aeration, access to clean water, and creating spaces that support physical activities. Notably, the inclusion of green spaces in buildings can help achieve health equity by improving health outcomes for marginalized populations, such as those with low socioeconomic status (SES), as demonstrated by a study conducted by Rigolon et al. (2021).

Selected Solution to Implement

The best solution to address health disparities among disadvantaged populations is to increase financial support focused on improving access to healthcare services. Implementing the solution would include a community-level survey and mapping to determine the current number of disadvantaged people and the existing community health centers and other resources. This would help determine the needs level and support planning. The solution can be implemented in low SES neighborhoods to improve access to healthcare services among disadvantaged populations.

Implementing increased financial support for healthcare services for disadvantaged populations has its pros and cons. On one side, this solution will improve access to healthcare services for low SES populations, including preventive care services. However, the solution may have increased the financial burden on other populations, which may be termed as advantaged. Additionally, it may fail to resolve the issue of health disparities among disadvantaged populations if it does not address transportation and other sociocultural barriers to accessing healthcare services.

Ignoring the issue of health disparities for disadvantaged populations may increase the burden of disease among individuals within the population, as well as having a majority of the individuals living with undiagnosed medical conditions. This can lead to late diagnosis and treatment, leading to a higher risk of comorbidity and mortality rates. At the same time, it can be a risk to the entire public health system.

Ethical Principles in Implementing Proposed Solution

The implementation of the proposed solution must adhere to the ethical principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence, autonomy, and justice. It would be necessary to consider the culture and values of the populations targeted by the solution. This will help implement the solution in a more community- and person-centered manner. Considering the ethical principle of beneficence will ensure that the solution is established to benefit the targeted individuals. The principle of nonmaleficence will ensure that the plan alleviates suffering, while the principle of autonomy will ensure that patients and the community’s decisions regarding the care provided in the established clinics are respected. And finally, the principle of justice will ensure that the solution is designed to ensure equitable access for all.

Conclusion

In conclusion, healthcare disparities for disadvantaged populations have an impact on the individual, society, and public health systems. It increases the risk of disease complications, development of morbid conditions, and even death. Therefore, it necessitates providing solutions to the problem. Notably, providing improved financial support targeted at the disadvantaged can help overcome the problem by improving access to affordable healthcare among low SES and people living with disabilities.

References

Aranda, M. P., Kremer, I. N., Hinton, L., Zissimopoulos, J., Whitmer, R. A., Hummel, C. H., Trejo, L., & Fabius, C. (2021). Impact of Dementia: Health Disparities, Population Trends, Care Interventions, and Economic Costs. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 69(7), 1774. https://doi.org/10.1111/JGS.17345

Nelson, H. D., Cantor, A., Wagner, J., Jungbauer, R., Quiñones, A., Stillman, L., & Kondo, K. (2020). Achieving health equity in preventive services: A systematic review for national institutes of health pathways to prevention workshop. Annals of Internal Medicine, 172(4), 258–271. https://doi.org/10.7326/M19-3199/SUPPL_FILE/M19-3199_SUPPLEMENT.PDF

Patel, M. I., Lopez, A. M., Blackstock, W., Reeder-Hayes, K., Allyn Moushey, E., Phillips, J., & Tap, W. (2020). Cancer Disparities and Health Equity: A Policy Statement From the American Society of Clinical Oncology. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 38(29), 3439. https://doi.org/10.1200/JCO.20.00642

Rigolon, A., Browning, M. H. E. M., McAnirlin, O., & Yoon, H. (2021). Green Space and Health Equity: A Systematic Review on the Potential of Green Space to Reduce Health Disparities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021, Vol. 18, Page 2563, 18(5), 2563. https://doi.org/10.3390/

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Question

Healthcare Disparities
o Description: Differences in health outcomes and care quality experienced by
certain populations due to socioeconomic, racial, or geographic factors.
o Interventions: Federal goals, policy changes, Triple Aim for populations,
community health improvement plans, patient advocacy efforts, cultural
competency training.
o Keywords: Socioeconomic status, health disparities, health inequities, health
equity, community health assessment, community health improvement plan,
strategic planning, local health departments

Analyzing a Current Health Care Problem

Write a 4-6 page analysis of problem 1 including a proposed solution and possible ethical implications.

Introduction

In your healthcare career, you will be confronted with many problems that demand a solution. By using research skills, you can learn what others are doing and saying about similar problems. Then, you can analyze the problem and the people and systems it affects. You can also examine potential solutions and their ramifications. This assessment allows you to practice this approach with a real-world problem.

Instructions

Note: The requirements outlined below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. At a minimum, be sure to address each point. In addition, you are encouraged to review the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed.

Describe the health care problem 1 and provide details about it.
- Explore your chosen topic. For this, you should use the first four steps of the Socratic Problem-Solving approach to aid your critical thinking.
- Identify possible causes for the problem or issue.
Use scholarly information to describe and explain the health care problem 1 and identify possible causes for it.
- Identify at least three scholarly or academic peer-reviewed journal articles about the topic.

Analyzing a Current Health Care Problem