Health Disparities Essays (Examples)

Health Disparity

Health disparities refer to a certain kind of health-related difference closely tied to economic or social disadvantage. They negatively impact groups of individuals systematically subject to greater economic and social barriers to a hygienic environment and health, on the basis of their ethnic or racial group, age, gender, religion, mental health, socioeconomic standing, geographic location, gender identity or sexual orientation, physical, cognitive, or sensory disability, or any other characteristics that are associated historically with marginalization or discrimination (Department of Health & Human Services, 2011b).

Of all industrialized countries, the U.S. expends maximum resources on the area of healthcare; despite this, millions of U.S. citizens do not enjoy a chance to live a healthful life. Overall population health in the U.S. has witnessed improvements over time, but health disparities for underserved, racial minority and ethnic minority communities continue. Vulnerable population clusters such as ethnic and racial minorities, disabled individuals,…

References

Center for Disease and Control. (2013). Conclusion and future directions: CDC health disparities and inequalities report -- United States, 2013. CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report -- United States, 2013, 62(3), 184.

Cooper, M. (2016). Clark County fighting minority health disparities. Retrieved from  http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/news/news/local/clark-county-fighting-minority-health-disparities/nq5wj/ 

Department of Health & Human Services. (2011a). HHS action plan to reduce racial and ethnic health disparities: A nation free of disparities in health and health care.

Health, U. D. o., & Services, H. (2011b). National partnership for action to end health disparities. Health Equality & Disparities.

Medical Home Model and Health Disparity

Nursing esearch Proposal

The Impact of the Medical Home Model on Health Disparities

The Impact of the Medical Home Model on Healthcare Disparity

Medical homes are primary care practices where a physician or NP establishes a long-term care relationship with patients and provide patient/family-centered, coordinated, and culturally-sensitive care (AANP, n.d.; Strickland, Jones, Ghandour, Kogan, & Newacheck, 2011). The benefits include improved healthcare access, quality, and safety. A number of states have enacted statutes supporting the medical home model after research findings revealed health disparities for racial and ethnic minorities were reduced (NCSL, 2013).

As a nurse practitioner I am interested in how effective a medical home model would be in reducing healthcare disparities, especially for racial and ethnic minority children residing in underserved communities. Nurse practitioners have traditionally practiced in underserved communities and will continue to do so; therefore, any strategy that could improve…

References

AANP (American Association of Nurse Practitioners). (n.d.). Medicare legislation: Fact sheet: The medical home -- What is it? How do nurse practitioners fit in? Retrieved from:  http://www.aanp.org/legislation-regulation/federal-legislation/medicare/68-articles/349-the-medical-home .

Abrams, M., Nuzum, R., Mika, S., & Lawlor, G. (2011). Realizing health reform's potential: How the Affordable Care Act will strengthen primary care and benefit patients, providers, and payers. The Commonwealth Fund. Retrieved from:  http://www.commonwealthfund.org/~/media/Files/Publications/Issue%20Brief/2011/Jan/1466_Abrams_how_ACA_will_strengthen_primary_care_reform_brief_v3.pdf .

NCSL. (2013). Health disparities: State laws. Retrieved from:  http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/health-disparities-laws.aspx .

Strickland, B.B., Jones, J.R., Ghandour, R.M., Kogan, M.D., & Newacheck, P.W. (2011). The medical home: Health care access and impact for children and youth in the United States. Pediatrics, 127(4), 604-11.

Healthcare

Hispanic Community and Healthcare

This paper is an examination of how the Hispanic community experiences healthcare. The data from a number of articles related to the subject form the basis for the conclusions reached in the analysis.

One study looked at whether Hispanic-specific training should be included for healthcare worker training. It was found that there is a serious lack of training that is currently implemented regardless the community examined. Healthcare workers were unaware of social conventions that were normal among their Hispanic clients which limited the effectiveness of the healthcare treatment given. Because women were unable to discuss personal problems with male healthcare workers and males had similar issues with females, it was difficult for the various agencies to be truly effective. The recommendation, of course, was to include a training curriculum that included cultural training.

Another issue that Hispanic individuals faced is that they were underrepresented in…

health UK

This research focuses on the health impacts of the Industrial evolution on various sectors of the British population, and hypothesizes that working class and poor laborers suffered from poorer health than their wealthier counterparts due to exposure to pollution and to lack of exposure to a varied diet.

Public health and the public health system existing in the 21st century is unrecognizable from what existed just a century before. As Wohl (1983) points out, poverty, ignorance, and poor sanitation plagued British public health throughout the Victorian era. It is important to understand what prompted the changes that led to increased knowledge, awareness, and application of ethical principles in health care. Armed with this knowledge, the bioarchaeologist and health care specialists alike can work together to transform health care outcomes in the future.

In particular, the Industrial evolution impacted individual and public health in significant and measurable ways. Coal…

Reference

Wohl, A.S. (1983). Endangered Lives: Public Health in Victorian Britain.London: J.M. Dent.

" (AAF, nd)

The Health Maintenance Organization further should "…negotiate with both public and private payers for adequate reimbursement or direct payment to cover the expenses of interpreter services so that they can establish services without burdening physicians…" and the private industry should be "…engaged by medical organizations, including the AAF, and patient advocacy groups to consider innovative ways to provide interpreter services to both employees and the medically underserved." (AAF, nd)

One example of the community healthcare organization is the CCO model is reported as a community cancer screening center model and is stated to be an effective mechanism for facilitating the linkage of investigators and their institutions with the clinical trials network. It is reported that the minority-based CCO was approved initially by the NCI, Division of Cancer revention Board of Scientific Counselors in January 1989. The implementation began in the fall of 1990 and the program was…

Principles for Improving Cultural Proficiency and Care to Minority and Medically-Underserved Communities (Position Paper) (2008) AAFP -- American Academy of Family Physicians  http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/policy/policies/p/princcultuproficcare.html 

Volpp, Kevin G.M. (2004) The Effect of Increases in HMO Penetration and Changes in Payer Mix on In-Hospital Mortality and Treatment Patterns for Acute Myocardial Infarction" The American Journal of Managed Care. 30 June 2004. Issue 10 Number 7 Part 2. Onlineavaialble at:  http://www.ajmc.com/issue/managed-care/2004/2004-07-vol10-n7Pt2/Jul04-1816p505-512 

Darby, Roland B. (2008) Managed Care: Sacruificing Your Health Care for Insurance Industry Profits: Questions You must ask before joning an HMO. Online available at: http://www.rolanddarby.com/br_managedhealth.html

The Tuskegee Syphilis Study still remains as one of the most outrageous examples of disregard of basic ethical principles of conduct not to mention violation of standards for ethical research. The suspicion and fear produced by the Tuskegee Syphilis Study are still evident today. Community workers often report mistrust of public health institutions within the African-American community. ecently Alpha Thomas of the Dallas Urban League testified before the National Commission on AIDS saying that many African-American people do not trust hospitals or any of the other community health care service providers because of that Tuskegee Experiment (esearch Ethics: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study, 2010).

In 1990, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), which is one of the country's major civil rights organizations, conducted a survey among 1056 African-American Church members in five cities. They found that 34% of the respondents believed that AIDS was an artificial virus, 35% believed that AIDS…

References

Bad Blood: The Tuskegee Syphilis Study. (2009). Retrieved March 9, 2010, from University of Virginia Health System Web site:

 http://www.hsl.virginia.edu/historical/medical_history/bad_blood/ 

Boskey, Elizabeth. (2007). What Is the Tuskegee Syphilis Study? Retrieved March 10, 2010,

from About.com Web site:  http://std.about.com/od/stdsinthemedia/f/tuskegeefaq.htm

Figure 1 portrays the state of Maryland, the location for the focus of this DR.

Figure 1: Map of Maryland, the State (Google Maps, 2009)

1.3 Study Structure

Organization of the Study

The following five chapters constitute the body of Chapter I: Introduction

Chapter II: Review of the Literature

Chapter III: Methods and Results

Chapter IV: Chapter V: Conclusions, Recommendations, and Implications

Chapter I: Introduction

During Chapter I, the researcher presents this study's focus, as it relates to the background of the study's focus, the area of study, the four research questions, the significance of the study, and the research methodology the researcher utilized to complete this study.

Chapter II: Review of the Literature in Chapter II, the researcher explores information accessed from researched Web sites; articles; books; newspaper excerpts; etc., relevant to considerations of the disparity in access to health care services between rural and urban residence in Maryland…

Potter, S. (2002) Doing Postgraduate Research. London: Sage.

Qualitative research: Approaches, methods, and rigour, (2008, Nov. 7). Microsoft PowerPoint Qualitative Research AdvC08 RS.PPT. Retrieved March 10, 2009 from www.unimaas.nl/bestand.asp?id=11629

Wolvovsky, Jay. (2008). Health disparities: Impact on Business and Economics Summit. Maryland's healthcare at a glance. The Heart of Community Health Baltimore Medical Syste. Retrieved March 10, 2009 at  http://dhmh.maryland.gov/hd/pdf/2008/oct08/Jay_Wolvovsky.pdf

Healthcare Websites

Soda Consumption and its link to obesity in California

The soda sugary drink consumption has increased tenfold along with its availability. California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) confirms that the overall exposure and consumption of soda and sugary drinks amongst children is extremely harmful. The even recently released fact sheets that supported the related harms as well as their concerns towards increasing soda consumption. After reading the article, it became quite clear that the increase in the soda consumption was an after-shoot of the media promotions of unhealthy diets and junk consumption. Increasing attractive advertisements also gave the food industry the opportunity to exploit the increased attractiveness and thus penetrate the market for huge profits.

CCPHA also pointed out the trends of limited physical activities that were also decreasing the overall health of the children. This is also a major concern and makes me realize the overall…

Disparity and Discrimination

The history of criminal justice and race.

The racial makeup of the criminal justice system.

The misunderstanding between discrimination and disparity.

How disparity and discrimination are addressed in the criminal justice system.

The difference between discrimination and disparity.

scholarly articles - each addressing an aspect of criminal justice.

How race and disparity are seen in the criminal justice system.

How race and discrimination are seen in the criminal justice system.

The treatment of criminals regardless of race.

An examination of the information collected from the articles.

Information regarding what the information means to the criminal justice system.

Recommendations

How to help the criminal justice system deal with race appropriately.

How discrimination can be avoided in favor of naturally-occurring disparity.

Conclusion

The future of discrimination and disparity in the criminal justice system.

What can be done to improve race relations when it comes to criminal justice.

Reference List…

Bibliography

Binswanger, I.A., Redmond, N., Steiner, J.F., & Hicks, L.S. 2011. Health disparities and the criminal justice system: An agenda for further research and action. Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine, 1-10.

Crutchfield, R.D., Skinner, M.L., Haggerty, K.P., McGlynn, A., & Catalano, R.F. 2009. Racial disparities in early criminal justice involvement. Race and Social Problems, 1(4): 218-230.

Davis, A.J. 2008. Racial fairness in the criminal justice system: The role of the prosecutor. 39 Columbia Journal of Human Rights Law Review 202: 202-230.

Garland, B.E., Spohn, C., & Wodahl, E.J. 2008. Racial disproportionality in the American prison population: Using the Blumstein Method to address the critical race and justice issues of the 21st century. Justice Policy Journal, 5(2). 1-42. Retrieved from  http://www.cjcj.org/files/racial_disproportionality.pdf

As to the availability of safe and clean water supplies, and safe waste disposal facilities, Native Peoples are again on the short end of the stick. About twelve percent of Native People do not have adequate supplies of fresh drinking water and dependable waste facilities while only one percent of the general American population do not have those needed facilities (Indian Health Services).

The U.S. Commission on Civil rights reports that the rates Native Americans are dying resulting from diabetes, alcoholism, suicide, unintentional injuries and other health conditions is "shocking" (www.USCCR.gov). Going back to the arrival of the Europeans on the North American Continent, many diseases were brought to the Native Peoples which were "far more lethal than any weapon in the European arsenal" so anyone even preliminarily examining the health care history of Native Peoples can clearly see that this dilemma has been a plague for Indians (www.USCCR.gov). The…

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009). Health of American Indian or Alaska Native Population. Retrieved April 14, 2009, from  http://www.cdc.gov /nchs/faststats/indfacts.htm.

Indian Health Services. (2006). Facts on Indian Health Disparities. Retrieved April 14,

2009, from http://www.americanindianhealth.nim.nih.gov.

United States Commission on Civil Rights. (2004). Broken Promises: Evaluating the Native American Health Care System. Retrieved April 15, 2009, from  http://www.usccr.gov/pubs/nahealth/nabroken.pdf .

Disparities and Diabetes among Latinos

The whole world is experiencing diabetes-related health disparities, co-morbidities and its complications. There is a wide range of literature available showing that ethnic and race minorities are at a greater risk of developing diabetes compared to the majority groups. The disparities are a result of a combination of factors; they are both clinical and biological. They are also strongly associated with the system of health and factors related to social dynamics. The term ethnicity is a complex one. It reflects a convergence of multi-dimensional factors ranging from biological ones to geographically-influenced contributors. Other strong influencers include political, economic cultural, legal and social factors, including racism. Thus, it is important to understand the idea of racism and ethnicity if one is to figure out the full stretch and effect of disparities in healthcare and health, generally (Spanakis & Golden, 2013).

The USA has a large Latino…

Diversity of Aging Population -- Innovative Healthcare

Over the past several decades there has been an avalanche of research and scholarly narratives focusing on the aging of millions of Americans -- among them the "baby boomers" that were born between 1946 and 1964 -- including their numbers and their health vis-a-vis the impact on the sometimes struggling healthcare system. But there has been a dearth of research on how American healthcare services will respond -- and is currently responding -- to an increasingly diverse older population when it comes to racial, cultural and ethnic identities. This paper points to the numerous issues and challenges that not only face an increasingly diverse older American population when it comes to healthcare, but also the challenges that the healthcare system itself faces as these Americans move into the twilight of their lives.

hat should be the Vision and Mission of Healthcare Professionals in…

Works Cited

Administration on Aging. (2010). A Statistical Profile of Black Older Americans Aged 65+.

Retrieved April 2, 2014, from  http://www.aoa.gov .

Bookman, A. (2008). Innovative models of aging in place: Transforming our communities for an aging population. Community, Work & Family, 11(4), 419-438.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2007). The State of Aging and Health in America

There are no deductibles and no user fees nor limits to contributions on the plan. There are also no restrictions on services to be used and no premiums to pay for basic care coverage other than taxes, a far cry from the high deductibles, co-pays and other fees associated with health care in the United States.

Key to this point is the idea that Canadian health care costs less because a large portion of it is publicly financed. The author's note that since Canada adopted their universal healthcare system the Canadian Health Act has implemented a policy of public administration which keeps the cost of health care spending lower and maintains the government's ability to provide health care services to the entire population. The authors argue that public administration is a more optimal choice for keeping health care expenditures down because administration is inexpensive.

U.S. hospitals keep more details of…

References

Armstrong, Hugh; Armstrong, Pat; Fegan, P. (1998). "The Best Solution: Questions and Answers on the Canadian Health Care System." Washington Monthly, Vol. 30, Issue 6, p. 8

Clark, Cal & Mceldowney, Rene. (2000). "The Performance of National Health Care Systems: A "Good News, Bad News" Finding for Reform Possibilities." Policy Studies Review, Vol. 17, Issue 4, p. 133

Grubaugh, S.G. & Santerre, R.E. (1994). "Comparing the Performance of Health Care Systems: An Alternative Approach." Southern Economic Journal, Vol. 60, Issue 4, p. 1030

Martens, Pim. (200). "Health Transitions in a Globalising World: Towards More Disease or Sustained Health?" Futures, Vol. 34, Issue 7, p. 635+

U.S. residents want a society in which all persons live long, healthy lives (1); however, that vision is yet to be realized fully. As two of its primary goals, CDC aims to reduce preventable morbidity and mortality and to eliminate disparities in health between segments of the U.S. population. The first of its kind, this 2011 CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities eport (2011 CHDI) represents a milestone in CDC's long history of working to eliminate disparities.

Health disparities are differences in health outcomes and their determinants between segments of the population, as defined by social, demographic, environmental, and geographic attributes (7). Health inequalities, which is sometimes used interchangeably with the term health disparities, is more often used in the scientific and economic literature to refer to summary measures of population health associated with individual- or group-specific attributes (e.g., income, education, or race/ethnicity) (8). Health inequities are a subset of health…

References

1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Secretary's Advisory Committee on National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Objectives for 2020. Phase I report: recommendations for the framework and format of Healthy People 2020. Rockville, MD: DHHS; 2008. Available at  

Message for Target Population: Health Education and Diet
1
The message for my target population—adults at a behavioral health clinic—is the following statement: It is important to maintain a healthy diet, low in sugar—especially high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), as the latter has been linked with the onset of heart disease, liver disease, obesity and diabetes (Bocarsely, Powell, Avena & Hoebel, 2010; Malik et al., 2010; Stanhope et al., 2015). This means, primarily, adults should take efforts to eliminate soft drinks and soda pop from their diets—as these are among the primary beverages high in HFCS.
The four domains of health literacy are: (1) Fundamental literacy, (2) Scientific literacy, (3) Civic literacy, (4) Cultural literacy (Zarcadoolas, Pleasant & Greer, 2005). In order for the health education message described above to have an effect on the target population, the target population has to possess knowledge in the four domains of health…

Syndemics of Adolescent Health

Theory

There are several social theories that attempt to explain health risks for defined demographics, such as adolescents. Socioeconomic theory suggests a lower status for an individual increases the risk of morbidity and mortality (Ward, Meyer, Verity, Gill, and Luong, 2011). In contrast to a focus on the individual, social quality theory suggests that social inclusion and empowerment lowers health risks. Syndemic theory, on the other hand, proposes that the morbidity and mortality of a defined demographic is determined by both social and economic factors (reviewed by Bruce, Harper, and AMTNHAI). To assess the value of socioeconomic and social factors in determining the health of adolescents, a study examining syndemic factors in adolescent gay males will be analyzed.

A Case Study in Syndemic Theory

A recent study investigated the syndemic of tobacco use in adolescent and young adult homosexual men in New York City (Storholm, Halkitis,…

References

Bruce, Douglas, Harper, Gary W., and AMTNHAI (Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV / AIDS Interventions). (2011). Operating without a safety net: Gay male adolescents and emerging adults' experiences of marginalization and migration, and implications for theory of syndemic production of health disparities. Health Education and Behavior, 38, 367-378.

Storholm, Erik D., Halkitis, Perry N., Siconolfi, Daniel E., and Moeller, Robert W. (2011). Cigarette smoking as part of a syndemic among young men who have sex with men ages 13-29 in New York City. Journal of Urban Health, 88, 663-767.

Ward, Paul, R. Meyer, Samantha B., Verity, Fiona, Gill, Tiffany K., and Luong, Tini C.N. (2011). Complex problems require complex solutions: The utility of social quality theory for addressing the social determinants of health. BMC Public Health, 11, 1-9. Retrieved 14 Apr. 2012 from  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3167771/?tool=pubmed .

Health and Illness

acism's ole in Health Service Inequalities

acism's ole in Health Service Inequalities

Healthcare has been a divisive topic in the United States for the past two decades in the public and private sectors. This has brought the entire subject to the fore in the eyes of most Americans. Whether an individual is one of the people who has been denied equal access to health care or not, it can be very trying to receive good, fairly priced healthcare in a lot of areas in the United States.

Among the many questions that populate the debate, one is becoming more and more central. There is a divide in the United States that has been present as long as this country has been a recognized nation. That divide is caused by the inequities that do exist, and have existed. This divide is racial in nature and seems to work…

References

Bhopal, R. (1998). Spectre of race and racism in health and health care: Lessons from history and the United States. Behavioral Medicine Journal, 316. 1970-1973.

Braveman, P. (2006). Health disparities and health equity: Concepts and measurement. Annual Review of Public Health, 27. 167-194.

Fiscella, K., Franks, P., Doescher, M.P., & Saver, B.G. (2002). Disparities in health care by race, ethnicity, and language among the insured: Findings from a national sample. Medical Care, 40(1). 52-59.

GIH. (2010). Racism: Combating the root causes of health disparities. GIH Bulletin.

esearch has shown that good communication amid patients and health care providers is directly connected to a person's happiness, treatment adherence and affirmative health results (Cultural Competency for Health Care Providers, 2007).

The goal of a lot of provider-oriented health it tools is to make relevant patient information flawlessly and unmistakably accessible to providers at the point of care. In so doing, these tools can decrease clinical indecision related to blurred or mistaken patient information that may be found in a handwritten medical record. In the nonexistence of desired information or in the presence of blurred or uncertain data, providers may undervalue patient precise information while at the same time overweighting their own medical viewpoints, suppositions, prejudices, or stereotypes about certain kinds of patients. If apparent and precise patient information is accessible to the clinician, the utilization of this information should augment, getting rid of the need for relying on…

References

Cultural Competency for Health Care Providers. (2007). Retrieved March 13, 2011, from Web

site:

http://www.cvahec.org/documents/CulturalComptencyforHeatlhCareProviders2007_11.8.

07.pdf

S. healthcare structure do not include the unobserved disparities. This may sound very rudimentary, even silly to point out, but in by understanding that the numbers are actually worse than they appear, and that the rising costs of healthcare services re associated with both what we see and can't see, it is easier to understand how costs rise so quickly.

It is also a sobering fact that what we cannot observe is still out there, existing beyond the scope of the government and social programs designed to help people overcome obstacles to access to healthcare and health insurance. The ethnic group that is most unobserved within the bounds of many of the studies and statistics related to the disparities in the U.S. healthcare industry is non-Mexican Latinos (Bustamante, et. al., 2009). This group represents a major portion of the U.S. population that currently lacks access to healthcare. In understanding this…

Works Cited

Bodenheimer, T., Chen, E., and Bennett, H.D. (2009). "Reorganizing Care:

Confronting The Growing Burden Of Chronic Disease: Can The U.S. Health Care Workforce Do The Job?" Health Affairs. Vol. 28, No. 1. Pp. 164-174.

Braveman, P.A., Cubbin, C., Egerter, S., Williams, D.R., and Pamuk, E. (2010).

"Socioeconomic Disparities in Health in the United States: What the Patterns Tell Us." American Journal of Public Health. Vol. 100, No. 1. Pp. 186-196.

Healthcare Inequalities

Are healthcare inequalities UK

Defining Health Inequality

The term healthcare disparity or healthcare differences have been defined in a number of ways. Healthcare inequality can be defined as the difference of the health levels of any tow comparable demographic groups within a certain country or a region even when proper healthcare facilities are available. The inclusive incidences include higher rates of mortality as well as morbidity within the people who belong to lower occupational classes and are poorer. These rates are higher as compared to the mortality rates in the people who belong to better occupational classes being richer and more privileged. Second important aspect that has been highlighted in the definitions of healthcare inequality includes increased rates of occurrence of mental healthcare-based issues in people from poor classes.

A number of countries have been highlighted with healthcare inequalities including Canada and UK. Since 1980, the documentation of…

References

Asthana, S, and Dr. Halliday, J 2006, What works in tackling health inequalities?: pathways, policies and practice through the life course, Studies in poverty, inequality, and social exclusion, The Policy Press.

Barron K. 2009, Health inequalities: written evidence; Volume 422 of HC SeriesPaper (Great Britain. Parliament. (Session 2007-08). House of Commons)) Written evidence, The Stationery Office.

Davies P. 2007, The NHS in the UK 2007/08, 9th edn, The NHS Confederation.

Dowler E. 2007, Challenging health inequalities: from Acheson to choosing health, Health and Society Series, The Policy Press.

(Menzel, 1990, p. 3) Fisher, Berwick, & Davis alude to the idea of integration in health care, with providers linking as well as creating networks of electronic medical records and other cost improvement tactics.

The United States and other nations over the last twenty or so years, have begun a sweeping change in health care delivery, regarding the manner in which health information is input, stored and accessed. Computer use in the medical industry has greatly increased over the last thirty years the culmination of this is fully networked electronic medical record keeping. (Berner, Detmer, & Simborg, 2005, p. 3) the electronic medical record trend began in the largest institutions first, as hospitals and large care organizations attempted to reduce waste and improve patient care, while the adoption has been much slower among physician's practices and smaller medical institutions. (Hillestad, et al., 2005, pp. 1103-1104) Prior to this time medical…

Resources, and Utilization

As a result, millions of Americans remain unable to bear the heavy financial toll of medical expenses. Indeed, the problem of a lack of insurance for many is related to the problem of the cost of healthcare. So confirms the article by Consumer Reports (CR) (2008), which finds that "health-insurance premiums have grown faster than inflation or workers' earnings over the past decade, in parallel with the equally rapid rise in overall health costs. Industry spending on administrative and marketing costs, plus profits, consumes 12% of private-insurance premiums." (CR, 1) This reiterates the case that the undue imposition of costs by the healthcare industry -- a reflection of a free-market industry with little to no regulatory oversight -- has negatively impacted the accessibility and quality of healthcare for many of the poorest users.

Moreover, these users are most vulnerable to the long-term economic damages provoked by unexpected healthcare costs. So…

Works Cited:

Bureau of Labor Education (BLE). (2001). The U.S. Health Care System: Best in the World, or Just the Most Expensive? The University of Maine.

Childress, M. (2010). Poverty is on the Upswing, but Metric is Out of Date. The Washington Independent.

Cockerham, W.C. (2004). Medical Sociology and Sociological Theory. The Backwell Companion to Medical Sociology.

Consumer Reports (CR). (2008). High Health Care Costs. Consumer Reports Health.org.

Health Care -- Strategic Planning and Marketing

Strategic planning and marketing often wed customer-oriented issues with broader issues of public health, morality and survival in a highly competitive market. Consequently, a key issue set forth by the American Hospital Association and an issue of strategic planning/marketing are often two sides of the same coin. This work addresses the customer-oriented issues of Diversity and Emergency Planning that are mirrored in two key issues advanced by the AHA. These two issues are articulated in the first part of this work and answered in the second part of this work.

Customer-Oriented Strategic Plan

Diversity

American society is increasingly ethnically diverse due to immigration, relocation, birth rates and other factors. Consequently, a 250-bed community hospital must hone its sensitivity to resulting changes in community health needs. n addition, there is a high level of competition among hospitals that requires sensitive, targeted marketing to attract…

Issues or Opportunities

Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities

As the American Hospital Association states, "Addressing disparities is no longer just about morality, ethics and social justice: It is essential for performance excellence and improved community health" (American Hospital Association, 2012). A multi-faceted approach to discerning, accommodating and marketing for diversity would certainly include the thoughtful collection and examination of diversity data to define target ethnic markets and specific steps tailored to those markets, as described in Noonan's and Savolaine's article. Studying obstetrical discharge data for ethnicity and outright asking physicians for specific information about the ethnicity of their patients is a sensible approach to determining the community's ethnic composition. In addition, the hospital zip code's CNI data for "five factors long known to contribute to health need - income, culture/language, education, housing status, and insurance coverage" (Anonymous, 2011) should be defined and collected. After that data is collected, it should be studied to define the community's major ethnic target groups. After determining the target groups, the hospital's services should be marketed directly

Polls examining public support of the bill and specifically the public healthcare option vary significantly. ith regard to physicians, the New England Journal of Medicine surveyed over six thousand medical doctors and found there was a majority in favor of federally provided public healthcare insurance (Keyhani & Federman). Other polls have suggested an opposition to the public option (Marmor).

The public option would provide an affordable alternative to the current private health insurance options and would provide impetus for competition and positive change. hether "America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009" will be passed is currently uncertain. hat is certain is that the healthcare and health insurance system is currently not sufficient to provide healthcare support for nearly 48 million uninsured Americans. Alterations need to be made to increase access and affordability for those individuals who desire health insurance.

Conclusion

The healthcare and health insurance system in the United States…

Works Cited

Harrington, Charlene, Carroll L. Estes, and Cassandra Crawford. Health policy. Jones & Bartlett Publishers, 2004.

Keyhani, Salomeh, and Alex Federman. "Doctors on Coverage -- Physicians' Views on a New Public Insurance Option and Medicare Expansion." N. Engl J. Med 361.14 (2009): e24.

Kotlikoff, Laurence J. The healthcare fix. MIT Press, 2007.

Marmor, T. "The Obama Administration's Options for Health Care Cost Control: Hope vs. Reality." 7 Apr 2009. 1 Nov 2009 .

" ("Let My Baby Live..." NP) Other messages of the campaign were to stress the need to avoid high risk pregnancy, prior to age 18 or after age 35 and to stagger pregnancies by two years to help the maternal body recover and be strong enough to care for the developing infant and go through labor successfully. The campaign, promoting these ideas states that it has been successful in reaching its goals, and has currently reached 66% of the population in the regions where the campaign was launched. ("Let My Baby Live..." NP) There is not mention as to whether the campaign will end, or be expanded to a broader audience in Turkey.

Turkey's example program could serve as a template for other health issues that need to be expressed to the public in Turkey and in other nations with challenged health care delivery infrastructures and limited public knowledge of…

Works Cited

Brennan, Teresa. Globalization and Its Terrors. London: Routledge, 2003.

Kaul, Chandrika, and Valerie Tomaselli-Moschovitis, eds. Statistical Handbook on Poverty in the Developing World. Phoenix: Oryx Press, 1999.

Weiker, Walter F. The Modernization of Turkey: From Ataturk to the Present Day. New York: Holmes & Meier Publishers, 1981.

E-Health Project in Turkey" International Telecommunications Network Website Retrieved November 15, 2007 at http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/e-strategies/e-applications/Turkey_E-health/index.html

Health IT

Information Technology and Cultural Transformation in Healthcare

apid advances in information technology have continued to drive change in many sectors, including healthcare. Ongoing research suggests that cultural transformation is necessary in order to properly adapt to the capabilities and constraints of the increasing complexity and pervasiveness of information technology in healthcare settings. Better utilizing the information technology available to healthcare organizations and more accurately understanding the social impacts of this technology can actually help to achieve the cultural changes that are needed, as is demonstrated in the following brief literature review.

At one level, there needs to be a certain degree of autonomy for individual healthcare organizations in their adoption and utilization of information technologies in certain operations, as this will enhance opportunities for cultural adaptability and a willingness to undergo such transformations (Abraham et al. 2011; Lopez et al. 2011). Different communities can experience significantly different effects…

References

Abraham, C., Nishihara, E. & Akiyama, M. (2011). Transforming healthcare with information technology in Japan: A review of policy, people, and progress. International Journal of Medical Informatics 80(3): 157-70.

Box, T., McDonell, M., Helfrich, C., Jesse, R….Rumsfeld, J. (2010). Strategies from a Nationwide Health Information Technology Implementation: The VA CART STORY. Journal of General Internal Medicine 25(1): 72-6.

Karsh, B., Weinger, M., Abbott, P. & Wears, R. (2010). Health information technology: fallacies and sober realities. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association 17(6): 617-23.

Lopez, L., Green, A., Tan-McGrory, A., King, R. & Betancourt, J. (2011). Bridging the Digital Divide in Health Care: The Role of Health Information Technology in Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities. Joint Commission Journal on Quality and Patient Safety 37(1): 437-45.

15).

Furthermore, and despite its popularity as a tourist destination because of its natural beauty, the Appalachians are not a sterile environment by any means and the people who live there have higher risks for certain types of conditions than their counterparts elsewhere. According to Bauer and Growick (2003), "Americans who live in Appalachia experience unique and different ways of life than most Americans. Appalachian culture runs from the bottom half of the State of New York through the mountains of West Virginia and Southeast Ohio to the flatlands of Alabama. This area of the country offers different perspectives and challenges to life. Because of the geographical vastness and uniqueness of the Appalachian culture, many people with disabilities who live in Appalachia are unable to access rehabilitative services and agencies" (emphasis added) (p. 18).

Likewise, many rural residents throughout Appalachia may have septic tanks and will lack access to other…

References

Anguiano, R.P., & Harrison, S.M. (2002). Teaching cultural diversity to college students majoring in helping professions: The use of an eco-strengths perspective. College Student Journal, 36(1), 152.

Barrett, E., Hackler, R., Highfill, K.A., Huang, P., Jiang, X., Monti, M.M., & Peipins, Lucy. (2002). A Norwalk-like virus outbreak on the Appalachian Trail. Journal of Environmental Health, 64(9), 18.

Bauer, W., & Growick, B.M. (2003). Rehabilitation counseling in Appalachian America. The Journal of Rehabilitation, 69(3), 18.

Brown, J.W., & May, B.A. (2005, April). Rural Appalachian women's formal patterns of care. Southern Online Journal of Nursing Research, (2)6, 1-21.

(Findlay, 2001, 90 -- 119) (McLeod, 2003, pp. 895 -- 908)

What is the possibility of bias entering the study? If the study is susceptible to bias, state and explain the type of bias that may enter the study and what steps can be incorporated to minimize the entry of bias.

The possibility for bias in the study is low. The reason why, is because researchers will have limited access to the patients they are seeing (through: the use of anonymous surveys). This will dramatically reduce the possibilities of bias existing. (Findlay, 2001, 90 -- 119) (McLeod, 2003, pp. 895 -- 908)

ased on your hypothesis/proposal, how will the proposed generated results help to develop an effective health policy for the target population of your chosen topic?

The proposal will help to develop an effective health policy. This is accomplished by: providing specific insights about how the increasing utilization of…

Bibliography

Findlay, S. (2001). Direct to Consumer Promotion. Pharmaco Economics, 19 (2), 109 -- 119.

Kryst, M. (2005). A Population-Based Survey. Headache, 34 (6), 341- 350.

McLeod, P. (2003). Physicians and Practice Characteristics. Medical Care, 41 (8), 895 -- 908.

These were categorized into three aspects, which the care provider could control for the benefit of the patients. These were satisfaction with the punctuality of the caregiver; the quality of interaction between the patient and the caregiver; and the overall dependability of health care. Promptness or punctuality with care or service was rated most highly by both groups. eing on time affected their functioning and comfort throughout the day, specifically with dressing, bathing and daily activities. Promptness was considered the easiest and most controllable aspect for the provider. The quality of interaction made the patients feel safe, respected and valued. And satisfaction with the overall dependability of health care mostly involved the caregiver's following through with the patient's suggestions, especially those by the more frail patients. This last aspect was also well within the control of the health care provider (Kolodonsky, et al.).#

ILIOGRAPHY

Champlin, L., (2004), surprising number of…

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Champlin, L., (2004), surprising number of U.S. elders do not have health insurance coverage -- not even Medicare (Online). American Academy of Family Physicians.

 http://www.aafp.org/online/en/home/media/releases/2004/uninsured-elders-4-1-04  (Accessed 18 August 2009).

Cummings, S.M.; Neff, J.A.; and Husaine, B.A. (2003), functional impairment as a predictor of depressive symptomatology: the role of race, religiosity and social support (Online). Health and Social Work, National Association of Social Workers.  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb138/is_1_28/ai_n28983552  (Accessed 18 August 2009)

Kolodinsky, J.; Junghun, N.; Lee, J.K.; and Dorzewiczewski, M. (2001). Degree of frailty and elderly satisfaction with personal care services in a community setting (Online). Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, ProQuest Information and Learning Company.  http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa5516/is_200101/ai_n21465985 . Accessed 18 August 2009).

Access and Availability

The biggest problem in terms of access to healthcare is in rural areas. Our investigation found that there are very few if any rural clinics or healthcare facilities.

Access to healthcare is also limited to those that can afford insurance or qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. The unemployed and the poor are at a major disadvantage when it comes to gaining access to healthcare. The location of healthcare facilities is limited to the larger municipalities.

Accountability

The entity that is responsible for the healthcare system is the United States Government. In addition, Puerto ico has a governor and a cabinet in place to ensure that the appropriate laws are carried out. The entity that makes laws concerning healthcare is outside of the country but the entity that enforces these laws is inside the country. Services are evaluated by state run entities and agencies of the United States…

References

The World Factbook -- Puerto Rico. Retrieved November 8, 2004 from;  http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rq.html#People 

Puerto Rico: Estimated Number of Persons Living with AIDS at the End of 2002. Retrieved November 8, 2004 from;  http://www.statehealthfacts.kff.org/cgi-bin/healthfacts.cgi?action=profile&area=Puerto+Rico&category=HIV%2fAIDS&subcategory=Persons+Living+with+AIDS&topic=All+Ages 

HIV / AIDS Among Hispanics. Retrieved November 8, 2004 from;  http://www.cdc.gov /hiv/PUBS/Facts/hispanic.pdf

Puerto Rico: Total Number of Adults with Diagnosed Diabetes, 2002. Retrieved November 8, 2004 from;

Health Promotion

The absence of illness does not thoroughly explain "Health", it can as well be described as wellness of the body and mind. More technically, health can be defined from two perspectives -- bodily and psychological health. A state of well-being due to regular exercises, adequate nutrition, sufficient rest, sensitivity to signs of sickness and when to seek help is referred to as Physical health. A person's fitness is showcased by his/her body make-up, cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular stability, and adaptability. Mental wellness refers to psychological and emotional welfare.

As defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO), mental health is "a state of wellness in which an individual discovers and harnesses his abilities, make headways regardless of stress encountered in life, can complete tasks adequately and profitably with substantial end product, and also contributes immensely to the uplift of his or her locality." (Nordqvist, 2015). A means of enabling people…

References

Boundless, 2016. Research Methods for Evaluating Treatment Efficacy - Boundless Open Textbook. Boundless. Available at: https://www.boundless.com/psychology/textbooks/boundless-psychology-textbook/treating-psychological-disorders-19/introduction-to-the-treatment-of-psychological-disorders-99/research-methods-for-evaluating-treatment-efficacy-382-12917/ [Accessed June 27, 2017].

Brassai, L, Piko, B, & Steger, M 2011, 'Meaning in Life: Is It a Protective Factor for Adolescents' Psychological Health?', International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 18, 1, p. 44, Advanced Placement Source, EBSCOhost, viewed 27 June 2017.

Cuijpers, P. et al., 2014. EU-Compass for Action on Mental Health and Well-being. PREVENTION OF DEPRESSION AND PROMOTION OF RESILIENCE. Available at:  https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/mental_health/docs/ev_20161006_co03_en.pdf  [Accessed June 27, 2017].

Gillham, J.E. et al., 2012. Preventing Depression in Early Adolescent Girls: The Penn Resiliency and Girls in Transition Programs. Handbook of Prevention and Intervention Programs for Adolescent Girls, pp.124 -- 161.

Healthcare System Practice Guideline
Introduce an overview of one healthcare system practice guideline
There are numerous areas within health care that demand change in everyday healthcare practice. More often than not, irrespective of the healthcare setting, an inventive group is required to conduct research and facilitate change. There are numerous practices that require change or upgrading. This is facilitated through the establishment and advancement of clinical practice guidelines. The selected healthcare system practice guideline is Management of Diabetes Mellitus in Primary Care (2017). This particular guideline delineates the important decision points in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) and provides well-outlines and wide-ranging evidence based recommendations assimilating prevailing information and practices for practitioners throughout Department of Defense (DoD) and Veretan Affairs (VA) Health Care Systems. Diabetes mellitus is an illness that is caused either by an absolute or relative deficiency in insulin giving rise to hyperglycemia. Type 1 DM (T1DM)…

Healthcare Disparity in Georgia

HIV infection continues to be a substantial trouble in Bibb County, Georgia. This illness substantially impacts lots of areas and Bibb County shares among the greatest HIV rates in America. One reason Bibb County deals with greater rates of infection is due to the high minority populace. Likewise, high levels of poverty and joblessness can make it tough for an individual to keep his/her health plan and access their primary-care service provider and acquire the required therapy for HIV. Social preconception likewise extends unfavorable mindsets of the community and can force the individual from looking for therapy or even testing for HIV.

The very best protection against HIV is enlightening the general public about the illness. outine testing for HIV is vital too. The first intervention would be to associate with a regional testing center and have the ability to check people as well as inform…

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2008). HIV / AIDS among youth. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 24, 2011, from  

Does Socio-economic Status Impact lives of People with HIV and AIDS?

Individuals with a lower socio-economic status are more prone to contracting HIV and AIDS virus. This measure also determines how individual status, relates to proper medical care. Lack of socioeconomic strength associated to the practice of risky sexual behaviors results to HIV contraction. Men engage in sexual intercourse with many partners without using a condom (Will 2000). Women at this lower level engage in riskier sexual behaviors. Homeless people are more vulnerable to infection, women in such situations are prone to rape and, men are most likely drug users. Individuals with low socioeconomic resources are prone to injury, which makes the susceptible to the effects of the virus that affects the central nervous system (Earnshaw, Valerie and Stephenie 2009).

Does HIV Infection Affect the Socio Sconomic Status of Infected Persons?

HIV and AIDS have negative impacts on the productivity…

References

Semple, S.J., Patterson, T.L., Temoshok, L.R., McCutchan, J.A., Straits-Troster,

K., Chandler, J.A., & Grant, I. 2003. "Identification of psychobiological stressors among HIV-positive women." Women & Health, 20(4), 15-36.

Earnshaw, Valerie a., and Stephenie R. Chaudoir.2009. "From conceptualizing to measuring HIV stigma: a review of HIV stigma mechanism measures." AIDS

and Behavior 13.6 (2009): 1160-1177.

It is a matter of opinion as to whether this is actually accurate, but it does appear to be logical (Payne, 1997).

This is an important analogy because of the fact that many individuals who are targeted for a particular reason will often attempt to find a disparity issue that they can use to insist that they have been treated unfairly. In drug use or sale issues, these people are targeted because of the offense that they have committed, but when sentencing is handed down, those who feel that they received too harsh of a sentence will work to find reasons that they believe their sentencing to be unfair.

Race is only one reason that these individuals use. Others include gender, age, and whether the amount of drug that they had is a felony or should be a misdemeanor instead. Some of the speculation into why some individuals feel that…

Bibliography

Banks, C. (2004). Criminal Justice Ethics: Theory and Practice. Thousand Oaks: Sage.

Blumstein, a. et. al. (1983). Research on sentencing: The Search for Reform.

Drug Use Trends. (1997, September-October). Slow development in "crack babies" may be caused by conditions of urban poverty, says new study. Retrieved at  http://www.ndsn.org/sepoct97/poverty.html 

Education Reforms and Students at Risk: A review of the current state of the art. (1994, January). Chapter 2: Student Background. Retrieved at  http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edreformstudies/edreforms/chap2a.html

I'd show how they must make trade-offs of how much food they purchase vs. how much they send on heating and utilities. They are barely making ends meet and I would show this from a very personal standpoint. Lastly, I would show that the existing Fair Work Act only covers the higher end of the Australian industrial relations system and does not provide enough support and protection for the part-time workers in the country, the majority of which are women. The final section of the representation would be a series of recommendations for making the Act more realistic.

What would you define as an interest (at least two), and what as possible positions to these interests?

The first interest and one I would be passionate about is how all these economics that border on discrimination are affecting the next generation of Australians. The short-changing of women in the workplace, many…

References

Baird, M., Cooper, R., & Ellem, B.. (2009). Low-paid women: the impact of regulatory change in Australia. Industrial Relations Journal, 40(5), 393-407.

Jefferson, T., & Preston, A.. (2010). Australia's Other Two-Speed Economy: Gender, Employment and Earnings in the Slow Lane. Australian Bulletin of Labour, 36(3), 327-334.

Watson, I.. (2010). Decomposing the Gender Pay Gap in the Australian Managerial Labour Market. Australian Journal of Labour Economics, 13(1), 49-79.

But people cn help protect themselves by stying wy from known risk fctors whenever they cn (Cncer Risk Fctors, 2012).

In order to contin spending, the U.S. helth cre system needs to ddress rising rtes of treted disese insted of requiring higher cost shring from consumers (Thorpe, Florence, Howrd ∓ Joski, 2005). There re mny things tht the stte of Cliforni is doing in order to help prevent Cncer in the stte. The Cncer Prevention Institute of Cliforni (CPIC) ws strted in 1974 s the Northern Cliforni Cncer Progrm. This institute works cross ll communities in order to:

investigte the cuses of cncer by exmining the genetic, environmentl, nd virl origins of cncers, nd, once these cuses hve been recognized,

id prevention by clssifying where suitble intervention cn stop cncer before its begins, nd they mke sure tht cncer prevention nd tretment strtegies benefit ll people everywhere by: wtching the…

aid prevention by classifying where suitable intervention can stop cancer before its begins, and they make sure that cancer prevention and treatment strategies benefit all people everywhere by: watching the occurrence of cancer amid the general public, examining racial or ethnic-based disparities in cancer prevention strategies or care choices, educating the public in regards to cancer prevention, treatment and survivorship alternatives, and reaching out to underserved populations in order to make sure that they have equal access to these advances (Cancer Prevention Institute of California, 2012).

The state of California spent $15,199,092 on Cancer in 2011(Key Health Data about California, 2012), which appears to be helping as can be seen by the overall decrease in Cancer rates over the last several years. The knowledge gained by these types of programs aids in the development of interventions, awareness and education campaigns, and other outreach activities that target cancer (Fairley, Pollack, Moore & Smith, 2009).

Cancer is a topic of great concern across the country but especially so

Moreover, nurses are in a position to identify cases of poor oral health among patients visiting the primary care unit of a healthcare center. For this reason, Kaylor et al. (2011) recommend nurses as an intervention measure in improving oral health in the community, since they can identify women at risk of poor oral health. They identify that nurses can work with low-income women in the community and educate the population on oral health. The review of literature advocates that oral health can be improved in the community by mobilizing community resources like local government, healthcare providers, and primary care providers like nurses in educating the population on the importance of oral health. This is through making contact with at risk populations in the healthcare set up and providing education on oral health. Nurses also can reach out to at risk populations through community-based programs that promote public health. Lastly,…

References

Formicola, a.J., Ro, M., Marshall, S., Derksen, D., Powell, W., Hartsock, L., & Treadwell, H.M. (2004). Strengthening the Oral Health Safety Net: Delivery Models That Improve Access to Oral Health Care for Uninsured and Underserved Populations. American Journal of Public Health, 94(5), 702-704.

Kaylor, M., Polivka, B.J., Chaudry, R., Salsberry, P., & Wee, a.G. (2011). Dental Insurance and Dental Service Use by U.S. Women of Childbearing Age. Public Health Nursing, 28(3), 213-222.

Krisberg, K. (2004). Prevention key to rural oral health outreach programs. Nation's Health, 34(4), 11-12.

Zabos, G.P., Northridge, M.E., Ro, M.J., Trinh, C., Vaughan, R., Howard, J., & ... Cohall, a.T. (2008). Lack of Oral Health Care for Adults in Harlem: A Hidden Crisis. American Journal of Public Health, 98, S102-S105.

The Foundation called specific attention to the prospect of institutional and policy-level strategies to increase the participation of under-represented minorities in the health professions. In response, the Institute Committee on Institutional and Policy-Level Strategies for Increasing the Diversity of the U.S. Healthcare Workforce came out with a report, entitled "In the Nation's Compelling Interest: Ensuring Diversity in the Health Care Workforce." The Committee consisted mostly of academicians, two of whom represented the nursing profession.

In its report, the Committee recognized the importance of increasing racial diversity among health professionals in order to improve access to care, greater patient choice and satisfaction and better educational experiences for practitioners, among other benefits. It also recognized the lack of strategies in reducing institutional and policy-level barriers among health profession educational institutions or HPEIs. In response to the lack, the Committee recommended that health professions education make a clear stand and mission on the…

BIBLIOGRAPHY

AHRQ (2007). The national healthcare disparities report, 2006. Agency for Healthcare

Quality and Research, Medscape. Retrieved on June 18, 2009 from  http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/552271 

www.medscape.com

Alabama Nurse (2004). ANA Review: Institute of Medicine report on workforce diversity,

Minority Healthcare Issues in the United States

Minority racial and ethnic groups in the United States have long been subject to disparities in access and deliver of healthcare services (Graham & Dietz, 2011). According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, approximately 33% of Americans self-identify themselves as being African-American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian/Pacific American, or Latino (Minority health, 2013). The Kaiser Family Foundation also emphasizes that, "acial/ethnic background is associated with health status, health insurance coverage, and health care access and quality, with people of color consistently faring poorer on many health outcomes" (Minority health, 2013, para. 2).

Although steps have been taken to address these disparities in healthcare outcomes (Smedley, 2006), there remains a lack of consensus among policymakers concerning optimal courses of action (Minority health, 2013). Moreover, many minority members who live in rural American communities remain underserved by the medical profession (Holley, 2013). According to Holley (2013), "This…

References

Graham, G.N. & Dietz, D. (2011, November/December). And quality healthcare for all:

Reducing health disparities in America. Aging Today, 32(6), 5.

Holley, K.A. (2013, February 15). Rural minority student engagement with a healthcare pipeline program. Journal of Research in Rural Education, 28(4), 1-3.

Komen, S.G. (2003, May). Minority women are less likely than Caucasian women to get mammograms. Marketing to Women, 16(5), 10.

Barak concludes by suggesting that the issue and concept of diversity take on a "special urgency" in human service healthcare organizations among the organization as a whole and staff, and that the organization review its quality of service and commitment to the community in order to truly impact the lives of diverse populations.

Managing Diversity: Best Practices

H Management often works off of the ideals of 'best practices.' This concept is discussed in the next article, "Managing the Diversity evolution: Best Practices for the 21st Century Business." Aronson takes a more general approach to diversity but one that can be applied directly to the healthcare industry nonetheless. Aronson points out many of the trends previously identified with regard to diversity problems in the nation's business climate as a whole. In particular the author points out that diversity issues may stem from a number of causes including cultural differences and systematic…

References:

Aronson, D. (2002). "Managing diversity revolution: Best practices for the 21st century."

Civil Rights Journal, 6(1):46

Barak, M.E.M. (2000). "The inclusive workplace: An ecosystems approach to diversity

Management." Social Work, 45(4):339

Epidemiology - Person, Place and Time

Epidemiology -- Person, Place, Time

Identify the specific goal you have chosen, describe it in detail, and discuss why you chose to focus on this goal and how it related to population health, both locally and globally.

The specific goal I have chosen is improvement of maternal health. I chose to focus on this goal because reproductive health is an issue for most women whether they live in developed or developing countries -- and because reproductive health is an issue over which the medical and healthcare communities can have relatively high degrees of influence. eproductive health is inextricably related to income at levels of a household, a community, and a nation. The figures representing women who died during pregnancy or childbirth are high (roughly 289,000 globally in 2013), but they are down by about 45% from 1990 levels ("MDG 5," 2014). This is a…

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (n.d). Principles of epidemiology in public health practice (3rd ed.). Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Coeytaux, F., Bingham, D., & Langer, A. (2010). Reducing Maternal Mortality: A Global Imperative. Association of Reproductive Health Professionals. Retrieved from http://www.arhp.org/publications-and-resources/contraception-journal/february-2011

MDG 5: Improve maternal health. (2014).

Trends in Maternal Mortality 1990-2008 . Estimates developed by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and the World Bank. (September 2010). Retrieved from  http://www.unfpa.org/webdav/site/global/shared/documents/publications/2010/trends_matmortality90-08.pdf

Innovations in healthcare in recent years have resulted in profound improvements in the quality of healthcare services as well as the manner in which they are delivered. One of the more important factors that has been shown to contribute to improved quality of healthcare services is the willingness to share knowledge among healthcare practitioners. To identify what factors serve to improve or detract from effective knowledge management practices, this paper reviews five relevant peer-reviewed studies concerning knowledge management in healthcare settings, followed by an assessment of the significance of the findings that resulted, as well as a summary of the research and potential topics for future research in this area.

Importance of Knowledge Management (KM) in Healthcare

Introduction

Although knowledge management is an important element in almost any organizational setting, effective and efficient knowledge management practices in healthcare settings can spell the difference between life and death as well as…

References

Alavi, M., and Leidner, D.E. (2001). Review: Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues. MIS Quarterly,

25(1), 107-136.

Chatzkel, J.L. (2003). Knowledge capital: How knowledge-based enterprises really get built.

New York: Oxford University Press.

There is confusion about laws which are subject to different interpretations and this result in critical information not being made available. This is caused by such laws like the "Educational ights and Privacy Act -- FEPA, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act -- HIPAA and a number of legislations that seek to protect the privacy of the family." ("eport to the President on Issues aised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy," 2007) Many state laws are also interpreted in such a way that they retard the work of agencies involved in monitoring health and safety issues. ("eport to the President on Issues aised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy," 2007) the complex nature of the law and the state laws, with a small percent of the laws applicable in a federal scale, it is not possible to enforce uniform standards.

Conclusion

It is to be concluded that the federal laws must be…

References

Billi, John E; Agrawal, Gail Bopp. (2001) "The Challenge of Regulating Managed Care"

Gostin, Larry Ogalthorpe. (2002) "Public Health Law and Ethics: A Reader" University of California Press.

Grim, Charles W. (2005, Jan) "IHS Focuses on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention"

Retrieved 11 February, 2008 at  http://www.usmedicine.com/column.cfm?columnID=193&issueID=70

Patient Safety in the Medical Environment

Medicines cure various infectious conditions, avert chronic diseases issues, and alleviate pain. However, an incorrect dosage and usage of drugs could invite negative effects. Errors from incorrect medicine usage are unavoidable and can happen at home, doctor's place, pharmacies, or even at hospitals. Such erroneous activities are one of the prime triggers behind paediatric patients experiencing iatrogenic injuries. Triggers of such medication errors, as put forward by studies, include lack of adequate knowledge, work pressure, lack of awareness that such errors exist, and insufficient training. Avoiding such errors is a clinical and government necessity. Some strategies that have been employed to lower recurrences of such errors include better input from clinical pharmacists, changes in system by using critical incident analysis and using information technology (Simpson, Lynch, Grant, & Alroomi, 2004). This paper looks into two major healthcare system failures, how to lower and avoid…

Bibliography

Diamond, C.L., & Jacobs, A.E. (2010). Let's Not Contribute to Disparities: The Best Methods for Teaching Clinicians How to Overcome Language Barriers to Health Care. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 189 -- 193.

Quan, K., & Lynch, J. (2010). The High Costs of Language Barriers in Medical Malpractice. California: The National Health Law Program.

Simpson, J.H., Lynch, R., Grant, J., & Alroomi, L. (2004). Reducing medication errors in the neonatal intensive care unit. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed, F480-F482.

The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's. (2010). Concepts in Managed Care Pharmacy: Medication Errors? The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy's.

L.K. Abraham's book Mama Might Be Better off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America. The critique includes topics such as the book's purpose, the book's scrutiny of the different healthcare aspects with regards to America's poor, and reactions of readers to the work. The focus of the book is on healthcare as of and upto 1994, the publication date; it does not take into consideration and/or discuss the healthcare changes as of the Affordable Care Act, also known as 'Obamacare'.

Topic of Book

This book's main topic is the effectiveness of healthcare in the United States (U.S.) with regards to the poor as of 1994; it also addresses particular formalities of American healthcare. Many of these issues have been addressed with the recent Affordable Care Act.

Purpose of the Book

L.K. Abraham's Mama Might Be Better off Dead offers a profound, unsettling view of the human aspects…

References

Abraham, LK. Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: the Failure of Health Care in Urban America. 1994. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in Urban America." (n.d.). Retrieved April 26, 2015, from  http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo3620077.html 

'Mama Might Be Better Off Dead.' The human face of health care. (1993). Health PAC Bulletin, 23(4), 30-33. Retrieved April 26, 2015, from  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10133594 

Manning & Grosso. (2011). Doctor of Nursing Practice Students Advocating For Health Care Access, Quality, and Reform: From the Virtual Classroom to Capitol Hill. (33). Retrieved April 27, 2015, from  http://jdc.jefferson.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1032&context=nursfp