In many societies in today’s world, numerous social and ethnical groups experience health inequalities. This gap has been created by many factors that include social, economic and environmental. Having access to basic health care is a fundamental right that each and every individual should have. Therefore, finding a solution of health disparities is crucial for the governments of different nations of the world. Over the years, there has been an increase in attempts to solve this problem.The first solution to this problem is to put emphasis on patient-centered care. The prime reason for disparities in healthcare, besides lack of medical insurance cover and low-quality medical care in the United States is preferences in decision making that are related to medical care. In some cases, medical practitioners have been accused of favoring some patients over others due to their races. Equitable access to basic health care is a fundamental right that each and every person should have access to regardless of their race or ethnicity. Therefore, the government of the United States should create laws and policies to curb rogue medics and this will play a vital role in curbing inequality in the healthcare sector.
The second solution is to promote personal responsibility and dignity among patients. The best way to deal with disparities in the healthcare sector is by ensuring that patients become central in the government‘s effort to improve health care. For instance, people suffering from chronic illnesses such as diabetes and cancer should “own” their illnesses. This will play a crucial part in ensuring that such patients manage such illnesses. Even though medical practitioners can offer such patients quality treatment and best recommendations, such patients must desist from bad habits such as smoking cigarette and unhealthy lifestyles.
The other solution that will aid in reducing inequality in the health care sector is to improve communication. Effective communication between patients and medical practitioners is fundamental in the provision of quality healthcare. According to research carried out by National Adult Literacy Survey (NALS), chronic diseases patient with low literacy levels normally have less knowledge on how to manage their conditions as compared to those with high literacy levels. Therefore, ensuring that the low literacy patients have knowledge on how to manage their conditions will be instrumental in reducing disparities in the medical healthcare sector.
Focusing on cultural context will also play a key role in reducing inequality in the health care sector. This is majorly because an individual’s community and cultural background normally affects his or her perceptions of health. Therefore, it is crucial that medical heath providers take time to comprehend the communities that they serve. Some patients can consistently decline to take some medication simply because they do not understand it.
Health Information Technology (HIT) will also solve the problem of inequality in the health sector. Access to adequate health care information to not only the health care providers, but also patients will greatly reduce the inequality gap. For instance, HIT will aid both physicians and nurses to work closely with patients so that they can provide high-quality health care at affordable cost. HIT will also play a pivotal role in helping medical practitioners to effectively redesign their clinical practices.