Barriers to Equality in Health Care

Racial Inequity in Health Care

The care received by black people from their providers contributes significantly to their high morbidity and mortality rates. Numerous studies have been conducted looking into racial inequity in health care, and the studies have all established similar findings. However, the study results are shelved, and the recommendations' implementation is rarely done. Black people still do not receive the same quality of care that their white counterparts receive, shortening their lives. According to Gollust et al. (2018), there is widespread consensus that health care providers contribute towards racial health care inequalities, and they can play a vital part in its elimination. The problem is that few providers will acknowledge they are at fault, and instead, they tend to push the blame on patients. Another research example is one conducted by Cogburn (2019), where the author analyzed the implication of racial inequity on population health. Due to racial inequity, efforts targeting improvements in population health are less effective since a part of the population does not receive adequate care. Siegel et al. (2021) posited that structural racism is the root cause of increased Black-White disparity in COVID-19 mortality. The majority of the Black people who died because of COVID-19 could have been saved had they received adequate care.

Potential Barriers for Implementing the Research

The significant barriers to implementing the research analyzed are that there is no motivation and most care providers focus more on White patients. Structural racism is the most significant factor that prevents improvements from occurring and limits policy changes. For a long time, black people have been seen as inferior, and even with continued demonstrations and demands for racial equity, the same never materializes when it comes to caring. Most health care providers view black people are poor, and they cannot afford health care services. Therefore, there is little need to pay much attention to them. Systemic racism clouds the judgment of most nurses, who perceive black people and white people differently. For example, a white woman who presents to a health care facility can demand services even if she does not have the funds and is highly likely to receive services. The same cannot be said for a black woman who attempts the same. The black woman will likely be thrown away, and if she insists, hospital administrators will call the police. The problem is not only within the health care facilities. Policymakers who most are white tend to ignore the plight of the black population and prefer to spend most of the health care funds improving the services for white patients.

Gaps Between Evidence-Based Approaches and The Research Process

Evidence-based approaches will focus more on what other researchers have done towards fighting or overcoming a particular challenge. The evidence uncovered is used to advise how it can be implemented within an organization and what to expect after a successful implementation. The research process identifies a problem and analyzes the cause or prevalence of the issue. Recommendations made are broad and could be effective in one setting and ineffective in another. When researchers research racial inequity within health care facilities, they provide solutions that could be implemented, but there is never supporting evidence that the recommendations work. Due to a lack of supporting evidence on the efficacy of the recommendations, most organizations will read the data and ignore it. However, if an evidence-based approach is used, the recommendations made will include how to implement the evidence to suit the particular organization. Evidence-based research is done mainly by employees who want to recommend changes to practice or policy. Research is done to uncover the cause or prevalence of a problem. The research results could be used to modify the public policy or have a significant social impact if implemented. However, implementation is dependent on each organization, and there is no guarantee that health care organizations would be willing to implement the recommendations.