My research attempts to provide an overview of the problem of racial discrimination and disparities in the present health care system and the effects that discrimination has on American minorities. My study serve as evidence for facts that this type of discrimination exists especially in three major areas, lack of health care coverage, linguistically , and ethical issues. Past attitudes continue to evidence themselves in the present way minorities are treated by health care providers. Unfortunately, the present health care system of America exemplifies the discrimination faced by minorities. My studies show that minorities in America suffer from the poorest health. Yet, the same studies go on to show that those minorities are denied access to health care and representation in medical research. Even when minorities do receive access to health care they are denied certain treatments that other white patients are afforded. Whatever the source they face discrimination. Unless minorities are provided with better access, representation in research, and the same quality of care as that received b

When cultural competency is not addressed, healthcare may be compromised. There are many examples of cultural insensitivity/ignorance on the part of healthcare providers. For example, a Thai patient speaks to an intake worker who takes notes in red ink. The patient is alarmed because in Thailand red ink is only used in criminal proceedings. A Laotian patient at a rural California clinic is told to give her child one teaspoon of medicine every four hours. The only spoon in her house is a porcelain soup spoon; the medication runs out long before the prescribed ten days. The result is the creation of additional obstacles to healthcare, which in turn results in inefficient and inappropriate use of healthcare resources. Patients come to rely on the emergency room because they avoid seeing a doctor until medically necessary; they use traditional remedies in addition to or in lieu of Western medicine because of a reluctance to trust the doctor; and they do not comply with prescribed treatments because of a lack of understanding or trust.

-Increase minority representation in the health and human services fields.

The government and local community leaders must build and strengthen infrastructure through multiple strategies, among them:

Insurance coverage is necessary but not sufficient that health access to care. Among both insured and uninsured alike, having a regular provider also was an important determinant of access. Moreover, having any regular provider was a more important determinant of access than the type of caregiver (i.e., a private physician, a community health center, or hospital-based primary-care site. Thus, efforts to improve the health services delivery infrastructure within and available to minority communities are important. Assuring that every individual has a regular provider, one that is both geographically accessible and culturally competent, should be the goal. Consistent and unequivocal differences exist in access to and use of medical care by race and ethnicity within certain diseases categories, including invasive cardiac care, cancer treatment, and therapy for human immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

In addition, the development of cultural competence must occur beyond the level of the individual provider, to include local, state and federal healthcare agencies. All healthcare programs must assess their level of cultural competence and devise strategies for achieving broad based cultural inclusion, if quality in healthcare is to attainable.

Some topics in this essay:
Cho Solis, African Americans, Rafael Garcia, Mexican American, Angeles County, Mexico Hawaii, Human Services, Hispanic Americans, health care, racial ethnic, african americans, Health Statistic, LA Care, cultural competency, health insurance, racial ethnic minority, ethnic minorities, ethnic minority, white americans, minority communities, regular provider, racial ethnic minorities, health care providers, provider determinant access, health care system,