Approaches To Universial Health Care In The United States Will Improve The Raical Inequalities Faced By African Americans

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Approaches to universal Health Care in the United States will improve the racial inequalities faced by African Americans

Abstract

This assignment is intended at determining racial influence on the discriminatory healthcare practices for African Americans. This point does not require further elaboration that racial inequality reduces the availability of quality care to the minorities, leaving them underprivileged. Based on the available facts and figures a thesis statement “Approaches to universal Health Care in the United States will improve the racial inequalities faced by African Americans” was generated. First, a brief introduction of racial discrimination was presented. Universal approaches to healthcare will be defined in the next section along with the thorough elaboration of how these approaches are mitigating the superfluous instances of racial discrimination is healthcare sector. In the end, conclusion section will attempt to extract meaningful inferences from the whole textual activity.

Main body

Thesis statement:

Approaches to universal Health Care in the United States will improve the racial inequalities faced by African Americans

Racial discrimination—a brief introduction

Although discrimination on the basis of race has no scientific grounds yet it has become highly aversive phenomenon perpetuating within the cultures seemingly “genetic” in nature (Krieger, 2012). Becker—a social psychologist—came up with the ground breaking idea of “fear of death” as the strong motivator behind much of our actions (Goldenberg et. al., 2008). A profound sense of terror and anxiety is caused when individual encounters an uncontrollable conflict between “his realization about death” and “his innately predisposed desire of being alive and productive.” The outcome becomes evident in form of “racial discrimination” when individual starts using his culture as a buffer for anxiety (Goldenberg et. al., 2008).

The above mentioned description refers to the explanation of racial discrimination—the psychological theory of terror management. This theory propounds the notion that human being is a social animal with the pervasive urge of identification with some influential social group. He cannot live alone because it gives him a lingering sense of losing life and endangered survival—since the stone-age (Goldenberg et. al., 2008). He manages his ‘terror” of being abandoned identifying him with the powerful social class or group. Undoubtedly, whites are in power and people—for the sake of their psychological fulfillment—tend to attribute their race as a source of superiority so that they could surpass others.

With the passing time, these beliefs become immensely uncongenial running unconsciously within the societies even without personal awareness (Banks et. al., 2006). Although psychologists and sociologists have made active attempts in mitigating this menace yet, discrimination somehow manages to find its way of expression at personal and institutional level (Banks et. al., 2006). With the technological advancements, the “irrational” discriminatory ideas are being opposed at personal and institutional level due to the freedom of expression through mass media (Goldenberg et. al., 2008; Jackson, 1995).

Approaches to universal healthcare; linking racial discrimination to the universal healthcare approaches

Discrimination in the healthcare setting can be estimated as the differential dealing with the minorities both by the authorities and other members of society. It not only affects physical health but also brings adverse mental health outcomes suggested by sociocultural studies (Williams and Mohammed, 2009). A bulk of literature is evident that healthcare outcomes of discrimination are highly deteriorating e.g., stress responses that damage organic and mental functioning adversely. In addition, they suffer maltreatment and inadequate availability of healthcare facilities which in turn disrupts their physical and mental health (Jackson, 1995; Banks et. al., 2006; Williams and Mohammed, 2009).

In 2004, USA Institute of Medicine published first formal research based statistics concerning unequal treatment of ethnic minorities. As a result of synthesizing a massive body of research, it was demonstrated that ethnic minorities of US are very unlikely to receive healthcare preventive and management facilities than that of white people (Martha and Sarah, 2018). Consequently, health outcomes among black people were highly deteriorating when neighborhood, health insurance, co-morbid illness and income was taken into account for explaining racial disparities (Williams and Mohammed, 2009; Pascoe & Richman, 2009).

As a result, this report stimulated the institute of medicine to put racial equality on the top of the list named “objectives of US healthcare system.” This was a commendable attempt to ensure that all the Americans under the category of human, are enjoying the privilege of being treated equally by healthcare institutions (Martha and Sarah, 2018). In the past, less attention was given to the access of equal healthcare opportunities to the minorities and enhancing their life-span. In 2010, “the white paper” a recent institute of healthcare modifications termed racial equality as the “forgotten aim” propounding the notion that a very little progress has been made in this regard (Martha and Sarah, 2018).

Agenda of zero discrimination

Realizing the importance of healthcare equality, with the ongoing massive support from stakeholders across the world, World Health Organization, UNSAID and GHWA propounded the valued agenda of zero discrimination aimed at providing equitable healthcare facilities to the minorities, expanding their satisfaction, improvising their quality of life and enhancing their life expectancy (UNSAID, 2016). This agenda was completed and presented on March 1, 2016, prioritizing three important areas of improvement:

Political impact: modification and mobilization of core constituencies and enhancing political commitment for securing healthcare rights at institutional levels.

Accountability: maintenance of accountability through improving, monitoring and assessing evaluation frameworks.

Implementation: application of all the rules, conventions and policies for ensuring equitable healthcare rights for ethnic minorities.

In addition to providing the agenda, it also gives a fine-line of how these theoretical ideal situations will be accomplished. Some of these techniques are stated below (UNSAID, 2016):

In order to provide services free from discrimination and stigma, enabling healthcare workforce to develop core competencies and capacities e.g., through appropriate professional and moral training.

Conduction of research based evidences and suitable practices for eliminating discriminatory practices.

Assurance of strict scrutinizing procedures for accountability and evaluation.

Provision of timed and quality health to all without fear of any judgment.

The implementation of effectual grievance mechanisms for grief and loss.

Provision of legal services, community based institutions, peer support networks and additional service providers to the vulnerable population when necessary.

Empowerment of civil society, clients and workers providing them with the workplace equality, allowing participation of previously discriminated community in developing programs and policies in order to promote discrimination-free equality in healthcare setting.

American Nursing Association Code of Ethics

First three nursing ethical provision are linked to the professional role of nurses attempting to treat all the community members as “patients” regardless of their socioeconomic status, nature of disease, racial or ethnic background and religion. These provisions are as follows (ANA, 2013):

Provision I: nurse is responsible for maintaining worth and dignity of patients, equal treatment and providing right of self determination to the patients regardless of the ethnicity, personal attributes and nature of problem.

Provision II: the primary commitment of nurse is to maintain professional relationship with patient no matter what his family background is.

Provision III: nurse promotes advocates and strives for the healthcare rights of patients.

Conclusion

This assignment was aimed at determining racial influence on the discriminatory healthcare practices for African Americans. This point does not require further elaboration that racial inequality reduces the availability of quality care to the minorities, leaving them underprivileged. Based on the available facts and figures, a thesis statement “Approaches to universal Health Care in the United States will improve the racial inequalities faced by African Americans” was generated and supported through a wide range of reliable scholarly literature. In a nutshell, it can be concluded that realizing the need of equal healthcare facilities, it has now become irrefutably significant for US government and institutions to develop and implement effective strategies for eradicating biased treatment towards minorities. Universal healthcare policies, ethical codes of conduct and financial remittance are the best ways for mitigating such disparities.

Works Cited

Goldenberg JL and Arndt J. “The implications of death for health: A terror management health model for behavioral health promotion.” Psychological Review. 2008, vol.115, pp.1032–1053 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18954213 assessed 19 March 2019

Slaughter JC, Caldwell CH, Misra DP. “The influence of personal and group racism on entry into prenatal care among African American women.” Womens Health Issues. 2013, vol. 23 no.6, pp.381-387. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24041828/ assessed 19 March 2019

Williams DR, Mohammed SA. “Discrimination and racial disparities in health: evidence and needed research.” J Behav Med, 2009,  vol.32, no.1, pp.20–47. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19030981 assessed 19 March 2019

 Jackson JS, Brown TN, Williams DR, Torres M, Sellers SL, Brown K. “Racism and the physical and mental health status of African Americans: a thirteen year national panel study.” Ethn Dis, 1995, vol.6 no.1–2, pp.132–47 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8882842 assessed 19 March 2019

Pascoe EA, Smart Richman L. “Perceived discrimination and health: a meta-analytic review.” Psychol Bull, 2009: vol.135, no.4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19586161 assessed 19 March 2019

Banks KH, Kohn-Wood LP, Spencer M. “An examination of the African American experience of everyday discrimination and symptoms of psychological distress.” Community Ment Health J, 2006: vol. 42, no.6, pp.555–70. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16897412 assessed 19 March 2019

Krieger N. “Methods for the scientific study of discrimination and health: an ecosocial approach.” Am J Public Health, 2012, vol. 102, no.5: pp.936–44. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22420803

Hostetter Martha and Klein Sarah. “In Focus: Reducing Racial Disparities in Health Care by Confronting Racism.” The commonwealth fund, 2018. https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/2018/sep/focus-reducing-racial-disparities-health-care-confronting

“Agenda for zero discrimination in health care.” UNAIDS; 2016 (http:// www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2016/Agenda-zerodiscrimination-healthcare

“Agenda for Zero Discrimination in Healthcare” 2016, http:// www.unaids.org/sites/default/files/media_asset/Agenda-zerodiscrimination-healthcare_en

“Code of ethics.” American Nurses Association, 2013. https://www.nursingworld.org/practice-policy/nursing-excellence/ethics/code-of-ethics-for-nurses/