Health care quality Flashcards
Barr. (2007). Health disparities in the United States: Social class, race, ethnicity, and health.
Gist: U.S. has the best health care system in the world but many residents cannot afford or do not have access to adequate care. This book looks at health care disparities based on socioeconomic status and race/ethnicity. The book discusses the relationship between income & social status & health care outcomes; the effect of race/ethnicity on health & availability of care; conscious, unconscious, & institutionalized bias in treatment options; how & when race/ethnicity should be taken into account in treating illness; & practical & practicable ideas for educing health disparities. The chapters focus on (1) how health is defined & measured, (2) the relationship between SES & health, (3) pathways from low social status to health outcomes, (4) race/ethnicity & health, (5) race/ethnicity, SES, & health, (6) how race/ethnicity affects how physicians treat patients, (7) when (if ever) it’s appropriate to use a patient’s race/ethnicity to guide medical decisions, and (8) what could be done to reduce health disparities.
