Improving Racial and Ethnic Data on Health

Improving Racial and Ethnic Data on Health
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 58
Release: 2003-10-15
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309182573

The panel convened the Workshop on Improving Racial and Ethnic Data in Health to review information about current private-sector and state data collection practices in light of existing federal, state, and local regulations, laws, and requirements. The workshop presentations featured the perspectives of data users, health care providers, insurance plan representatives, state and local public health officials, and regulatory officials. Participants assessed policies, practices, barriers, and opportunities for collecting racial and ethnic data in their settings, and explored ways that private and state systems can be improved to address data needs. In preparation for the workshop, the panel commissioned four background papers to fill gaps in knowledge of private-sector and state government policies and practices and to address the importance of racial and ethnic data collection. The panel is also examining the role of socioeconomic status regarding health and health care disparities. However, the workshop intended to focus only on racial and ethnic data collection. The panel's final report will contain a full consideration of the collection of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic status data.

Race, Ethnicity, and Language Data

Race, Ethnicity, and Language Data
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 286
Release: 2009-12-30
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309140129

The goal of eliminating disparities in health care in the United States remains elusive. Even as quality improves on specific measures, disparities often persist. Addressing these disparities must begin with the fundamental step of bringing the nature of the disparities and the groups at risk for those disparities to light by collecting health care quality information stratified by race, ethnicity and language data. Then attention can be focused on where interventions might be best applied, and on planning and evaluating those efforts to inform the development of policy and the application of resources. A lack of standardization of categories for race, ethnicity, and language data has been suggested as one obstacle to achieving more widespread collection and utilization of these data. Race, Ethnicity, and Language Data identifies current models for collecting and coding race, ethnicity, and language data; reviews challenges involved in obtaining these data, and makes recommendations for a nationally standardized approach for use in health care quality improvement.

Unequal Treatment

Unequal Treatment
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 781
Release: 2009-02-06
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 030908265X

Racial and ethnic disparities in health care are known to reflect access to care and other issues that arise from differing socioeconomic conditions. There is, however, increasing evidence that even after such differences are accounted for, race and ethnicity remain significant predictors of the quality of health care received. In Unequal Treatment, a panel of experts documents this evidence and explores how persons of color experience the health care environment. The book examines how disparities in treatment may arise in health care systems and looks at aspects of the clinical encounter that may contribute to such disparities. Patients' and providers' attitudes, expectations, and behavior are analyzed. How to intervene? Unequal Treatment offers recommendations for improvements in medical care financing, allocation of care, availability of language translation, community-based care, and other arenas. The committee highlights the potential of cross-cultural education to improve provider-patient communication and offers a detailed look at how to integrate cross-cultural learning within the health professions. The book concludes with recommendations for data collection and research initiatives. Unequal Treatment will be vitally important to health care policymakers, administrators, providers, educators, and students as well as advocates for people of color.

Eliminating Health Disparities

Eliminating Health Disparities
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 310
Release: 2004-08-09
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309166136

Disparities in health and health care across racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds in the United States are well documented. The reasons for these disparities are, however, not well understood. Current data available on race, ethnicity, SEP, and accumulation and language use are severely limited. The report examines data collection and reporting systems relating to the collection of data on race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic position and offers recommendations.

Communities in Action

Communities in Action
Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 583
Release: 2017-04-27
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309452961

In the United States, some populations suffer from far greater disparities in health than others. Those disparities are caused not only by fundamental differences in health status across segments of the population, but also because of inequities in factors that impact health status, so-called determinants of health. Only part of an individual's health status depends on his or her behavior and choice; community-wide problems like poverty, unemployment, poor education, inadequate housing, poor public transportation, interpersonal violence, and decaying neighborhoods also contribute to health inequities, as well as the historic and ongoing interplay of structures, policies, and norms that shape lives. When these factors are not optimal in a community, it does not mean they are intractable: such inequities can be mitigated by social policies that can shape health in powerful ways. Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity seeks to delineate the causes of and the solutions to health inequities in the United States. This report focuses on what communities can do to promote health equity, what actions are needed by the many and varied stakeholders that are part of communities or support them, as well as the root causes and structural barriers that need to be overcome.

Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health

Oxford Textbook of Global Public Health
Author: Roger Detels
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 1717
Release: 2017
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 019881013X

Sixth edition of the hugely successful, internationally recognised textbook on global public health and epidemiology, with 3 volumes comprehensively covering the scope, methods, and practice of the discipline

Engaging Black and Minority Ethnic Groups in Health Research

Engaging Black and Minority Ethnic Groups in Health Research
Author: Natalie Darko
Publisher: Policy Press
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2022-12
Genre: Minorities
ISBN: 1447359135

This crucial contribution exposes the misconception that health research and health services are equally effective for all and highlights their failures in reaching Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups. It provides essential case study examples on recruitment, engagement and partnerships with BAME groups in research and public engagement.

Critical Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life

Critical Perspectives on Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 753
Release: 2004-10-16
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309092116

In their later years, Americans of different racial and ethnic backgrounds are not in equally good-or equally poor-health. There is wide variation, but on average older Whites are healthier than older Blacks and tend to outlive them. But Whites tend to be in poorer health than Hispanics and Asian Americans. This volume documents the differentials and considers possible explanations. Selection processes play a role: selective migration, for instance, or selective survival to advanced ages. Health differentials originate early in life, possibly even before birth, and are affected by events and experiences throughout the life course. Differences in socioeconomic status, risk behavior, social relations, and health care all play a role. Separate chapters consider the contribution of such factors and the biopsychosocial mechanisms that link them to health. This volume provides the empirical evidence for the research agenda provided in the separate report of the Panel on Race, Ethnicity, and Health in Later Life.

In the Nation's Compelling Interest

In the Nation's Compelling Interest
Author: Institute of Medicine
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 429
Release: 2004-06-29
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 0309166616

The United States is rapidly transforming into one of the most racially and ethnically diverse nations in the world. Groups commonly referred to as minorities-including Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, and Alaska Natives-are the fastest growing segments of the population and emerging as the nation's majority. Despite the rapid growth of racial and ethnic minority groups, their representation among the nation's health professionals has grown only modestly in the past 25 years. This alarming disparity has prompted the recent creation of initiatives to increase diversity in health professions. In the Nation's Compelling Interest considers the benefits of greater racial and ethnic diversity, and identifies institutional and policy-level mechanisms to garner broad support among health professions leaders, community members, and other key stakeholders to implement these strategies. Assessing the potential benefits of greater racial and ethnic diversity among health professionals will improve the access to and quality of healthcare for all Americans.

Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life

Understanding Racial and Ethnic Differences in Health in Late Life
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 184
Release: 2004-09-08
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 0309165865

As the population of older Americans grows, it is becoming more racially and ethnically diverse. Differences in health by racial and ethnic status could be increasingly consequential for health policy and programs. Such differences are not simply a matter of education or ability to pay for health care. For instance, Asian Americans and Hispanics appear to be in better health, on a number of indicators, than White Americans, despite, on average, lower socioeconomic status. The reasons are complex, including possible roles for such factors as selective migration, risk behaviors, exposure to various stressors, patient attitudes, and geographic variation in health care. This volume, produced by a multidisciplinary panel, considers such possible explanations for racial and ethnic health differentials within an integrated framework. It provides a concise summary of available research and lays out a research agenda to address the many uncertainties in current knowledge. It recommends, for instance, looking at health differentials across the life course and deciphering the links between factors presumably producing differentials and biopsychosocial mechanisms that lead to impaired health.