socioeconomic gap concerning the quality of healthcare provision for individuals with chronic illness

socioeconomic gap concerning the quality of healthcare provision for individuals with chronic illness

Introduction

The number of Americans with one or more chronic conditions is a considerable percentage of the patient population, and even more, it accounts for most of the healthcare costs. Individuals with chronic illnesses typically need to receive their care from many different systems and many various providers. Consequently, it causes care coordination to be complicated and confusing for these patients. S socioeconomic factors complicate this care coordination even more. Treating patients with chronic illness has historically been a significant issue, but the approach in treating it has recently focused on the importance of coordination of care. Coordination of care is essential in combating the enormous numbers of people affected with chronic illness, but understanding and reducing the gap in the quality of care that patients with lower socioeconomic status receive will make the most substantial impact (“Disparities in health,” 2020). This paper will discuss and evaluate the socioeconomic gap concerning the quality of healthcare provision for individuals with chronic illness.

Identified Gap

Historically, the treatment of patients with chronic illness has been a significant issue both to the individuals and the health care providers responsible; however, the recent approach has focused mainly in the coordination of the entire process of care provision in curbing the catastrophe (“Disparities in Health,” 2020). Effectiveness and efficiency in combating the issue rely on the coordination of the care process. Moreover, proper understanding and precise reduction of the gap concerning the quality of care provided to individuals of lower socioeconomic status will advise the method of treating and combating the issue of chronic illness in the community (“Disparities in Health,” 2020). Improvement of social determinants in health, for instance, health care system, community and social context, food, education, neighborhood, and physical environment, and economic stability is critical in managing both incidence and prevalence.

Socioeconomic

Socioeconomic backgrounds, for example, patients from lower socioeconomic status, are faced with the challenge of managing the issue mainly due to lack of finance required in the care provision. As a result, the victims lack the supportive care needed for chronic illness, consequently exacerbating the issue. Proper management does not end with hospital admissions but also with good access to both social and financial factors. The socioeconomic factors have been shown to effects various patients suffering from chronic illness. For instance, due to lack of finances to access the healthcare, victims are unable to treat the initial stages of the chronic disease to the time the sickness advances to a higher risk level where they are forced to seek treatment at all cost (“Disparities in Health,” 2020). However, at such levels, the illness would have advanced to a much more critical level resulting in more cost of treatment and control.

Socioeconomic Status

Healthcare delivery to patients relies much on socioeconomic status. Chronic illness creates a persistent and substantial burden to both victims and healthcare providers in the United States. Besides, due to multiple conditions resulting from chronically ill patients, a well-coordinated system of treatment is required, which can be attained from different healthcare providers in different locations, making the process costly (“Disparities in Health,” 2020). For example, typical condition sees five specialists and two primary care per year, in the case of a more complex situation, victims are forced to seek treatment from more than sixteen specialists per year.

Consequently, chronic disease victims with lower SES have been determined to increase cases of mortality and mobility (Girijala & Bush, 2018). Moreover, the issue of the low level of education as well as lack of proper awareness another problem in combating chronic illness. As per Girijala &Bush (2018), patients with little knowledge of the disease are more prone to deaths since the majority of them are unable to manage and know when to seek medical attention.

The federal government, as well as healthcare providers, should work tirelessly to reduce the ever-increasing gap of socioeconomic in the quality of care coordination of individuals with chronic illness (Girijala & Bush, 2018). However, failure to reduce the deficit would result in various repercussions. For example, the general health, as well as the productivity rate of the people, will suffer drastically. Moreover, it will result in the negative impacts in both the healthcare industry and the population in general. In a scenario where chronic disease is not managed at its initial stages, it will result in considerable financial burden both to the healthcare system as well as the victims.

Existing Initiatives

More significant investment in chronic disease prevention and management is necessary to reduce economic disparities along racial and ethnic lines and lead to a healthier, prosperous nation for all. The U.S is working tirelessly in combating the issue of chronic illness. Reduction and elimination of both health and healthcare disparity have been the leading initiative in the healthcare system over a decade. The major effort involved the decline of health disparity, the establishment of National Center Health Disparity and Minority Health, authorization of Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Education Act of 2000, Health Disparity Research, and the Minority Health (Girijala & Bush, 2018). The initiative has played a significant role in the health sector, for instance, in measuring and assessing the process involved in the reduction of health disparities.

Goals and Development of Initiatives

As per Girijala & Bush (2018), the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has played a significant role in advancing the process of reduction of disparities and the improvement of Health and Health Care. ACA has broadened and expanded coverage in population in both health and healthcare. Moreover, it has an increase in funding for various communities affected as well as increase healthcare provision for the disparity groups accomplishing great achievement and improvement. Reduction of disparity has been the primary concern of ACA through various instances such as the introduction of the Offices of Minority Health, which is incorporated in the HHS agencies with the primary responsibility of coordination and reduction of disparity in the entire health system (Girijala & Bush, 2018). Additionally, the creation of Prevention and Public Health Fund, research efforts and data collection, education material and cultural competence training, promotion of workforce diversity has been other concerns associated with ACA to reduce disparity in healthcare.

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) introduced an action plan intending to eliminate ethnic health and racial disparity in 2011 (Girijala & Bush, 2018). Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) in collaboration with local health departments, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as other states have implemented community interventions to reduce and eliminate specified neighborhood disparity (Girijala & Bush, 2018). These various initiatives aimed at reducing and eliminating the issue of inequality in healthcare were developed after different research was conducted on healthcare disparity. For instance, the release of Surgeon General reports, which indicated a high prevalence of variation in access to the use and health services by ethnicity and race.

Resources and Funding Initiatives

The various departments played a crucial role in the reduction process through funding. For instance, several states, universities, and non-profit organizations, the local health department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention et cetera have played critical roles in funding various initiatives aimed at reducing healthcare disparity (Kindig, D., Lardinois, N., & Chatterjee, D., 2016). Moreover, different private foundations, for example, managed care plans and providers to integrate social and environmental needs into the health care system, Medicaid programs, and states are vital resources in the provision and funding of various initiatives.

Limitation of Initiatives

Affordable Care Act has achieved tremendous success in insuring people with lower level of income and the people of color as indicated by a drop of 2% from 13% to 11% in 2015 for uninsured, nonelderly, and elderly population (Kindig, D., Lardinois, N., & Chatterjee, D., 2016). However, coverage disparity is still a challenge. Despite the incorporation of various states such as new health insurance and Medicaid expansion, a vast number of lower SES are still facing issues in attaining health for chronic illness. Recent reduction to both enrolment and outreach, the ever-changing federal policy priorities, et cetera has reduced the plan and the objective of the initiatives.

Regulation

Affordable Care Act 2010 regulation is a body responsible for ensuring all Americans in healthcare. Usually, the U.S medical cost is highly expensive, and the introduction of ACA has brought great relief to a large number of American citizens as it was initially developed to cut off and reduce costs (Kindig, D., Lardinois, N., & Chatterjee, D., 2016). Treating and managing a chronic illness is highly expensive, and a large number of the population is unable to control. ACA has provided health opportunities for both natural citizens, including the disparity population, such as the people of color. Health care cost has limited other essential sectors, such as advancement and development in technology, education, and housing (Kindig, D., Lardinois, N., & Chatterjee, D., 2016). ACA has primarily assisted in cutting and reducing health care costs incurred by most Americans. As per (Kindig, D., Lardinois, N., & Chatterjee, D. (2016), approximately 20 million people have been able to secure health insurance.

Moreover, apart from reducing costs, ACA is focusing on the prevention of diseases. ACA is provided and guarded by the federal laws. Additionally, the regulation is key in the general health care provisions has it covers a wide area hence ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of health care delivery as well as safeguarding other related healthcare regulations.

Summary

In conclusion, the various initiatives play a crucial role in the provision of healthcare for the disparity population. More significant investment in chronic disease prevention and management is necessary to reduce economic disparities along racial and ethnic lines and lead to a healthier, prosperous nation for all. ACA has enabled people of lower social and economic status to attain quality health care. Besides, ACA was introduced and managed by the federal government; hence its plays a vital role in supporting other healthcare regulations. Moreover, there are no conflicts associated with ACA in the provision of health care.