Copy of Change Your World Week for grading

By. Spencer Goetz

Racial inequalities in healthcare refer to the systemic disparities in health outcomes, access to medical services, and quality of care between different racial and ethnic groups. These injustices can manifest through various dimensions, including but not limited to, differences in treatment based on race, disparities in the availability and accessibility of healthcare services, and unequal health outcomes among racial and ethnic minorities compared to their white counterparts.

Why it is a Problem:

• Health Disparities: Racial injustices in healthcare lead to significant disparities in health outcomes. For instance, ethnic and racial minorities often experience higher rates of chronic diseases. These disparities are not just a result of individual or genetic differences but are deeply rooted in social, economic, and environmental disadvantages.

• Access and Quality of Care: Racial and ethnic minorities frequently face barriers to accessing healthcare services, including lack of insurance coverage, geographical disparities, and a shortage of healthcare providers in minority communities. When they do access care, it is often of lower quality than that received by white individuals. This can be due to biases, both implicit and explicit, among healthcare providers, leading to differences in the treatments offered and the level of care provided.

• Social and Economic Impact: The consequences of racial injustices in healthcare extend beyond individual health outcomes, affecting the social and economic well-being of entire communities. Health disparities contribute to the cycle of poverty, limiting educational and employment opportunities due to chronic illness or disability. This, in turn, perpetuates socioeconomic disparities and the social determinants of health that underlie racial injustices in healthcare.

• Ethical Concerns: At its core, racial injustice in healthcare is a profound ethical issue. It challenges the principles of equity, justice, and the right to health. Allowing such disparities to persist goes against the ethical obligations of healthcare providers and the broader society to ensure fair and equitable treatment for all individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity.

In Chicago, a city that really shows what's happening across the whole country, there's a huge gap between the rich, mostly white neighborhoods and the poorer, mainly black and Latinx areas. This gap is about more than just where people live; it affects how long they live, how much money they make, and even how likely they are to catch COVID-19. For example, just eight miles apart, you've got the south side's Englewood and the north side's Streeterville, but it's like they're worlds apart in terms of income, home value, and life expectancy. With COVID-19 hitting, things have only gotten worse, especially in black neighborhoods where more people are getting sick, partly because of jobs that can't be done from home and living conditions that make it easy for the virus to spread. Doctors in these areas see the results every day, from violence to the virus, showing just how deep these problems go. It's clear that all these issues, like bad housing from old racist policies or jobs that expose people to the virus, are all connected, making the pandemic even harder on communities that were already struggling.

                    Estime, Stephen, and Brian Williams. “Systemic Racism in America and the Call to Action.” American Journal of Bioethics, vol. 21, no. 2, Feb. 2021, pp. 41–43. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.delta.edu/10.1080/15265161.2020.1861386

                   Watson, Maya K. “Inaccessible Health Care.” UMKC Law Review, vol. 92, no. 2, Winter 2023, pp. 393–406. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lgs&AN=174480921&site=ehost-live&scope=site.     

                 BUBAR, J. TWO AMERICAS. (cover story). New York Times Upfront, [s. l.], v. 153, n. 3, p. 8–11, 2020. Disponível em: https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.delta.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=146343863&site=ehost-live&scope=site. Acesso em: 19 fev. 2024.   

                  Alang, Sirry M. “Mental Health Care among Blacks in America: Confronting Racism and Constructing Solutions.” Health Services Research, vol. 54, no. 2, Apr. 2019, pp. 346–55. EBSCOhost, https://doi-org.ezproxy.delta.edu/10.1111/1475-6773.13115.