Inequalities in healthcare

Question 1

What are health inequalities?

Answer 1

-Avoidable and unfair differences in health status between groups, populations or individuals

Question 2

What can inequalities in health be linked to?

Answer 2

• socio-economic status

- inequalities manifest across health conditions

Question 3

Outline the social determinants of health in a socioeconomic & poiltical context

Answer 3

• These relate to structural determinants, social determinants of health inequities
• Governance
• Macroeconomic policies
• Social policies (Labour market, housing, land)
• Public policies( education, health, social protection)
• Culture & societal values

Question 4

Describe factors relating to socieconomic position that may lead to inequalities in healthcare

Answer 4

• Social class
• Gender
• ethnicity
  determine:
• Education
• occupation
• income

Question 5

Outline the intermediary determinants in social determinants of health inequities

Answer 5

• Material circumstances( living& working conditions, food availability etc)
• Behaviors & biological factors
• Psycho-social factors

Question 6

Summarise the inverse care law

Answer 6

The availability of good medical care tends to vary inversely proportional with the need for it in the population served.

Question 7

How can health care systems cause/ exacerbate inequalities in healthcare?

Answer 7

1. ) through unequal availability of care
2. ) Organisational barriers to care, which may be harder to overcome for people already vulnerable
3. ) Stigma & discrimination, which again often focuses on those vulnerable or living with illness.

Question 8

Outline organisational ‘barriers’ to access.

Answer 8

1. ) Financial:
   - charges for specific services
   - Indirect costs of time from work and travel
2. )Institutional level:
   - Administrative requirements
   - Language barriers, and availability of translation
   - Functioning of booking systems and waiting lists

Question 9

What is proportionate universalism ?

Answer 9

• The resourcing & delivering of universal services at a scale and intensity proportionate to the degree of need
• Services are therefore universally available, not only for the most disadvantaged, and are able to respond to the level of presenting need

Question 10

How can health care systems address health inequalities?

Answer 10

• Attention to funding, organisation & availability of care
• Integrating medical care with broader public health and social intervention
• Principles of proportionate universalism
• Bringing cultural & structural competence to care delivery