Diverse Populations in Healthcare Policy
The need for competent health care culturally in the US is good as ethnic and racial minorities are overburdened with increased rates of disability, diseases, and death and are prone to get a lower health care quality than minorities. Health disparities associated with socioeconomic can be improved by developing and creating a cultural healthcare system that can overcome communication obstacles that may prevent appropriate and treatment (Anderson et al., 2003). Cultural competence is a critical ingredient in the diverse populations in the healthcare system. Offering competent cultural services will improve health outcomes and increase the quality of support and clinical staff hence greater client satisfaction. The burst of Immigrants into the US over the last decades has led to the proliferation of cultures and foreign languages. In response to the increased cultural diversity, the healthcare system is paying attention to the linguistic and culturally appropriate services.
The increasing diversity in the US brings challenges and opportunities for healthcare systems, healthcare providers, and policymakers to develop and deliver various culturally competent services. Most of the United State’s population growth came from immigration, as almost 59 million people settled in the US since the 1960s (Quinton, 2017). Black, Asian, Hispanic, and multiracial children already outnumber white children in the United States, leading to a diverse patient population. One of the challenges the healthcare system would face from the diverse population is that immigrants cannot speak English. Treating a diverse population will mean confronting gaps beyond the socioeconomic status. Hispanics and African-Americans tend to get low quality healthcare compared to the whites, and black patients are less likely to get ARVs if they are HIV positive than white patients and are also less likely to get pain medication.
References
Anderson, L. M., Scrimshaw, S. C., Fullilove, M. T., Fielding, J. E., Normand, J., & Task Force on Community Preventive Services. (2003). Culturally competent healthcare systems: A systematic review. American journal of preventive medicine, 24(3), 68-79.
Quinton, S. (2017). Health Care Adjusts to a More Diverse America. Pewtrusts.org. Retrieved 11 March 2020, from https://www.pewtrusts.org/en/research-and-analysis/blogs/stateline/2017/02/13/health-care-adjusts-to-a-more-diverse-america.