Disparities in Health among Populations for a Healthy People 2020
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Disparities in Health among Populations for a Healthy People 2020
Introduction
Healthy people refers to a set of objectives and goals that are designed with 10-year targets to help guide the promotion of efforts based on the national health and disease prevention to ultimately help improve the general health of people living in America. Healthy people 2020 depicts the fourth generation of the healthy people initiative. Healthy People 2020 purposes to attain a society where all people get to live healthy and long lives ("Access to Health Services | Healthy People 2020", 2022). Healthy People 2020 entails a set of highly-prioritized health concerns that demonstrate the threat to the general public's health. Equally important, various health indicators are mainly organized under the umbrella of topic areas and focus on addressing the various health determinants based on health that focuses on promoting healthy behaviors, quality of life, and developments that would be regarded as healthy across numerous stages in life. Through the leading health indicators, assessment of key health areas of a Nation becomes possible as such facilitating the easy collaboration across diverse areas. In this paper, I will mainly focus on the Topic Area, Access to health services, and the specific health issue of health insurance.
Access to Health Services
An individual's ability to access health services profoundly impacts all their health aspects. However, at the beginning of the decade, close to 1 out of 4 Americans did not have a health center facility where they would access health care medical services or lacked a primary care provider. Close to 1 out of every 5 Americans, from adults under 65 to children, lack medical insurance. There is a high likelihood of people without medical insurance to the regular source of medical care such as the primary care provider and are highly likely to miss out on medical care routines due to expenses resulting in an increased risk for complex and disabling associated health conditions. Nevertheless, when these individuals access medical health services, they are faced with substantial out-of-pocket expenses and substantial medical bills. One of the critical steps toward improving Americans' health is increased access to medical insurance and medical care.
Access to health services results in an impact on health. Consequently, access to medical health services has an impact on the well-being and health of a person. As a result, reliable and regular health would prevent disabilities and diseases, improve quality of life, decrease the likelihood of early deaths, and a general rise in the life expectancy rate. On the other hand, the primary care providers are vital in protecting the safety and health of the communities they serve. More importantly, PCPs can develop sustained and meaningful relationships with the patients while providing an integrated service form in their community and family practice context. Good communication between the provider and the patient, a high level of trust in the provider, and a higher possibility of patients receiving the most appropriate care demonstrates the association of having an average PCP.
A Contrast in Causes of Disparities Related to the Health Issue within Populations
Many individuals face constraints that limit or prevent access to various healthcare services, which may result in an increased risk of health disparities and poor health outcomes. Insufficient health insurance coverage is a significant disparity where the unequal distribution of insurance contributes to various health disparities within the health sector. Medical care costs that are out-of-pocket based could lead persons to postpone the needed type of care, as well as debts within medical care known among the uninsured and those insured ("Access to Primary Care | Healthy People 2020", 2022). On the other hand, vulnerable populations are at a greater risk of less health insurance coverage. At the same time, low-income people are often uninsured, and the minority account for the larger half of the uninsured population.
Health suffers a negative impact due to the deprivation of health insurance coverage. More importantly, is the fact that a majority of uninsured adults stand low chances of receiving preventive services based on various chronic conditions, including cancer, diabetes as well as cardiovascular diseases. Consequently, children lacking health coverage have low chances of getting treatment for various conditions such as asthma and preventive services such as immunization and dental care that trail developmental milestones.
On the contrary, research findings found that health insurance coverage is associated with enhanced and better health care and access to various health services. According to a previous study ("Access to Primary Care | Healthy People 2020", 2022), uninsured adults between the age of 60 and 64 attained Medicare eligibility while at the age of 65; as such, their utilization of the essential services offered at the clinic level had increased. In the same regard, Medicare coverage provision for uninsured adults considerably raised their chances of getting a diagnosis of diabetes and also the utilization of diabetic medications. In addition, insurance coverage is essential in enhancing children with various chronic illnesses and unique needs in accessing health care services.
Consequently, insurance within health alone may fail to eliminate each hurdle to care. Unreliable and inconvenient transportation could interfere with dependable healthcare admission, contributing to undesirable health outcomes. Lack of transportation could result in patients from vulnerable populations rescheduling missing appointments, skipping medications, and postponing healthcare ("Access to Primary Care | Healthy People 2020", 2022). Another disparity that poses a barrier the access to health services concerning health insurance issues is the limited availability of various healthcare resources. A reduced number of physicians would imply that patients would suffer delayed care and long waiting hours. Most health care resources are distributed adequately among communities with well-insured residents; however, the type of insurance the community members also possess matters.
In some cases, patients with Medicaid type of insurance get to experience access issues while living in certain regions with less acceptance of Medicaid due to reduced reimbursement rates by few physicians. Expanding access to various health services is crucial to reducing health disparities.
Public Communication Strategy to Reduce Disparity and Promote Health
Campaigns based on health communication educate individuals on specific health matters while influencing patients to adopt healthier behaviors.
Know the issue
Before developing a plan, it is essential to come up with a structured understanding associated with the issue of health coverage. It is essential to begin by assessing the health disparity and then by breaking it down to whom it may impact. What follows is the identification of all-inclusive components of the solution (Aid et al., 2022). Analysis and gathering of information allow for realistic and thoughtful goal setting.
Clarify the campaign goal
Equally important, to ensure a successful campaign, it is crucial, to begin with, focus and clarity. It is essential to first begin by identifying a larger goal of the disparity and then narrow it down to specific objectives.
Know the intended audience
It is essential to create subgroups and identify audiences before developing any plan. More importantly, to promote health, it would be essential to learn more about audiences as much as possible, including their beliefs and behaviors (Aid et al., 2022).
Use of models and theories
Models and theories give to each campaign stage process by responding to various questions based on why a problem or a disparity exists, what ++++type of information is required, whom to target, and what strategy would make the most significant impression.
Strategic crafting of messages
It is essential to develop a communication strategy to utilize a research-based strategy to help mold messages and campaign materials (Aid et al., 2022). Moreover, to help reduce differences associated with health insurance, it would be critical to explore various influential channels based on market research. Magazines, radios, and televisions should also take part.
Consider the pros and cons of partnerships.
More importantly, before considering this form of decision, it is essential to consider both the drawbacks and benefits of reducing health disparities while promoting health. Following the decision to form a partnership, setting clear guidelines regarding roles would be essential.
Testing out materials
Before the launch, testing materials used in communication would be needed with persons representing the targeted audience. One is in a position to give valuable information on how the campaign to reduce disparities would be.
Spreading the word
Publicity and attention both help to ensure a productive promotion of health. By hosting community events, it becomes possible to reduce differences between the issue of health insurance for those insured and those uninsured.
Monitoring success
Following the implementation of the campaign, it is essential to begin evaluating it by tracking the assessment reaction and exposure of audiences while adjusting where necessary. Through the evaluation process, it becomes possible to provide an insight into how an operation adheres to top plans and various outcome relationships that help demonstrate that the campaign messages are nearing the intended audiences.
Overcoming budget constraints
Despite limited finances, campaigns within the communication strategy pretest, assess audiences, and set objectives. As a result, neglecting these steps hinders the success of a campaign even before it begins.
Communication plan
First, I would begin by identifying the purpose of communicating. Communicating on matters of health mainly based on health disparities would help impact patients and adopt new and better health behaviors. In this case, what I wish to address would depend on my effort to reduce health disparities, such as the lack of uninsured persons within the community. Secondly, I would focus on identifying the audience. With the whole idea with whom I would want to reach, I would be in a position to plan my form of communication logically. In such a case, I would like to reach out to persons with low income that are uninsured. I would certainly need different forms of messages for distinct types of groups, with distinct methods and channels to reach various groups.
Another step in my communication plan would be based on the message. I would consider the channel used for communication. How would I reach my intended audience? I would use community outreach forums and promotional materials depicting health insurance coverage's importance.
Communication Evaluation Plan
In my evaluation plan, I would like to ask the audience members what they would like to get changed regarding the health issue on health insurance coverage. What can be changed to help eradicate the issue of a particular person missing out on medical coverage while others stand the benefit of enjoying the service?
Population Targeted Communication
Demographically targeted communication- I would create this form of communication as I would like to focus on specific people based on their income, such as low-income persons who cannot acquire medical coverage (Marie Beauchamp, 2022). Employment targeted communication- in this case, it is essential to focus on a particular line of work, such as employment and unemployment. Medical insurance coverage requires some form of financing. Those employed can efficiently work on
Reflection on learning based on the project
The absence of health insurance reduces primary care and preventive services and is related to various poor health outcomes. Additionally, individuals who lack health insurance tend to delay care when injured or sick. Communicating a language other than English while at home negatively influences the accessibility of screens and primary care programs. In some cases, Hispanic individuals who could not speak English faced fewer chances of receiving the preventive types of health services they qualified to receive ("Access to Primary Care | Healthy People 2020", 2022). According to Healthy People 2020, due to limited office hours, individuals face a reduction in the accessibility to the primary form of medical care on access to health services. More importantly, services may not be provided during the typical working hours by the primary care providers, creating a barrier to staff without experiencing the benefit of sick leave.
Moreover, the supply and the travel distance of the primary care providers limit people's ability to access primary care. As a result, most rural communities may have few providers compared to urban families, making it difficult for rural residents to access primary care. In conclusion, primary care is critical in reducing health disparities and enhancing population health.
References
Access to Health Services | Healthy People 2020. Healthypeople.gov. (2022). Retrieved 28 June 2022, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/leading-health-indicators/2020-lhi-topics/Access-to-Health-Services.
Access to Primary Care | Healthy People 2020. Healthypeople.gov. (2022). Retrieved 28 June 2022, from https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/access-to-primary.
Aid, T., Learning, O., Sciences, C., Management, D., & Degrees, E. (2022). Health Communication: Effective Strategies | Tulane University. Publichealth.tulane.edu. Retrieved 28 June 2022, from https://publichealth.tulane.edu/blog/health-communication-effective-strategies/.
Marie Beauchamp. (2022). How to Target Your Communication. Your Business. Retrieved 28 June 2022, from https://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/target-communication-4099.html.