Health Disparities in the United States: A Comprehensive Analysis for Health Care Administrators

By Darren Liu, Betty Burston, Shartriya C. Stewart, Heidi H. Mulligan

This unique text explores health disparities in the United States and their implications from the perspective of health care administration. The book begins with a broad overview of health disparities including definitions from local, state, and federal legislation, as well as alternative definitions. The authors examine current and past frameworks of analysis regarding the causes of disparities and provide a statistical overview of death rates and their implications for health care administrators.

Understanding Health Disparities

Health disparities refer to the differences in health outcomes and health care access among different population groups. These disparities can be based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, socioeconomic status, and geographic location. Health disparities can result in adverse health outcomes, reduced quality of life, and increased health care costs.

Frameworks of Analysis

Several frameworks have been developed to analyze the causes of health disparities. These include the social determinants of health framework, the health equity framework, and the cultural competence framework. Each of these frameworks provides a different perspective on the factors contributing to health disparities and guides strategies for addressing them.

Statistical Overview of Death Rates

The authors provide a statistical overview of death rates in the United States, highlighting the significant disparities that exist across different population groups. This data serves as a critical tool for health care administrators in understanding the scope of the problem and developing targeted interventions to address these disparities.

Health Disparities in Different Health Care Environments

In the final section of the book, each chapter examines health disparities within specific types of health care environments. These include:

• Physician practices: The authors discuss how physician practices can contribute to health disparities through factors such as lack of cultural competence, limited access to specialty care, and inadequate patient education.
• Hospitals: This chapter explores how hospitals can exacerbate health disparities through policies and practices that perpetuate inequities in care.
• Pharmaceutical products: The authors analyze the impact of pharmaceutical products on health disparities, including issues related to access, affordability, and cultural appropriateness.
• Medicare/Medicaid: This chapter examines the role of Medicare and Medicaid in addressing health disparities, including the challenges and opportunities presented by these programs.
• Long-term care: The authors discuss the unique challenges of addressing health disparities in long-term care settings, where residents often have complex and chronic health needs.
• Insurance markets: This chapter explores the impact of insurance markets on health disparities, including the effects of market segmentation and lack of access to affordable coverage.

By examining health disparities across these different environments, the authors provide a comprehensive understanding of the complex factors contributing to these inequities and highlight opportunities for intervention and improvement.