Snapshot
- Health disparities disproportionately affect disadvantaged groups.
- Such disparities can hamper high-quality healthcare.
- Addressing disparities requires tackling social health determinants.
- Shifting from treatment to prevention can mitigate these disparities.
Overview
Health disparities, as defined by the CDC, are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities for optimal health, predominantly experienced by socially disadvantaged populations. These disparities often arise from societal inequities based on ethnicity, gender, education, disability, and geographic location.
One primary step to address these disparities is ensuring high reliability in the healthcare ecosystem. This concept promotes safe, high-quality, and efficient care consistently, a goal hindered by the presence of health disparities. Thus, we must focus on tackling these disparities at their roots, often embedded in social determinants of health.
The suggested paradigm shift involves transitioning from a treatment-focused model to a prevention-centric approach. This shift necessitates investment in primary care networks, schools, education, and social engagement. Some communities have already embarked on this journey, but more comprehensive efforts are needed for education, primary care involvement, and social engagement.
