The underlying goal of health institutions in America is saving lives and protecting American people. Despite improved health status in America, the 36% who make ethnic minorities groups in Americans are yet to realize enhanced health status benefits. There exists a substantial burden in high infant mortality rates, reduced life expectancy, burdens in preventable diseases, high disability rates, and high death rates compared with the health status of non-minorities. These differences create health gaps and health disparities in administering health among most African-Americans who constitute 14.5% of American people (African American Health. 2018). Race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and education influence health status of African-American people significantly. This work details a health status comparison of African-American with nationals by contrasting their health status additionally, this work considers each group’s cultural, social economic and social status.
African-American remain the least healthy minority group in the USA. Although there is an improving health record for the past decade, about 11% of African-Americans adults lack accredited insurance health cover while only 4% of nationals remained unsecured on the other hand. African-Americans are yet to attain favorable health compared to their white race a factor that continues preventing them from achieving better economic status and reduce existing health disparities (BlackDemographics.com | Health status & Life Expectancy. 2018). Associated mainly to the slavery period, most African-Americans continue to live in impoverished environments putting their lives at risks compared to nationals. Despite ending slavery a long time ago, there is systematic discrimination against black people affecting their health life negatively. Government intervention has not effectively created health equity between black and white Americans. While the first health disparity act of 1984 by Margaret Heckler is yet to take full realization, there still exist people dissatisfied in quest of equitable health services among African-Americans.
There exist intrinsic and extrinsic health barriers in providing primary care among African-Americans. Below is a detail of how these barriers contribute to creating health disparities in the USA
Communication and Education
Effective communication and education are paramount in expressing and understanding health concerns. A patient need understand what practitioner advice or recommends. While communication leads to a healthy doctor-patient relationship, majority African-American experience communication hurdles while expressing their health concerns. For example, most black Americans remain glued to their ethnic and cultural backgrounds; black Americans experience problems following and understanding doctors’ prescription adversely affecting their health patterns.
Social Cultural Discrimination
The continued social discrimination among black race in some doctors’ office. Malicious ego on superiority continues to soil health relationships between white and black people in America. For instance, there are scenarios where patient questioning lies on a discriminative angel rather than tackling sensitive issues at hand.
Race
Race concordant doctors are presently a hot topic; there is, however, a need to consider competent services rather than securing a doctor from your race as currently seen. It is unprofessional to offer health services based on race, ethnicity, and culture at present time as such would lead to social dissonance. A good doctor is essential rather than having poor services from a doctor from your race. Patients must prioritize quality service than service from doctors in their race.
According to recent researches, African Americans exhibit a high predominance of obesity, heart diseases, diabetes, cancer, and sexually transmitted diseases compared to the whites. Additionally, it is notable that most African Americans lack access to personalized medical care. The poor health status among this group mostly attributed to social status, cultural practices, beliefs genetics, racial discrimination, and environmental exposure. Moreover, the health practitioners training on specific cultural sensitivity thus they are not able to address the particular health concern of the group. Important to note that African American remains the unhealthiest among all the minority ethnic groups. The limited access to health care among Africans American is another contributor to poor health status since most African Americans lack health insurance coverage.
Minority group nurses are on the leading line to advocate for education, and other health care serves to help in coming up with healthier communities. The promotions led to most people realize the importance of improved and adequate health care among all the Americans regardless of their ethnicity and social or financial background. The goals of these nurses are to eliminate the disparities, health equity, and improved healthcare for all the groups. The African Americans view the health promotion as a vital element to help them acquire up to standard health care, as it is notable that their health status is currently the poorest (Betancourt et al. 2016).
A group known as Healthy People 2020 conducting health Fairs with the aim of creating awareness among the African Americans in attempt to reduce the high rates of death. They do so by holding health promotion fairs where they educate people, test for various diseases, and do screening. After which they advise the members to seek further medical attention if need be. Doing so helps people to know their health status and allows monitoring those found with any diseases, it also gives room for controlling any preventable diseases.
Although results from recent studies show that the African Americans are living longer than the whites are, the black Americans life expectancy is still less than that of whites, and health disparities still exist within the two races. Further, the results indicate blacks aged between twenty to forty years die from diseases and conditions, which are among the white occur in the older ages. The early death is because such conditions among blacks may not be notable at manageable stages while the whites learn of them in early stages thus the right treatment acquired hence they may live longer. The blacks are still not able to obtain improved and developed health care thus these conditions go unnoticed and untreated therefore leading to early deaths. The health discrepancies are because of the factors discussed above which hinder the blacks from acquiring equitable healthcare (Boulware et al. 2016)
Americans should proactively ensure safety since prevention is better than cure; it is better avoiding diseases than curing. Presently most African- American suffer from an array of illnesses, as such, tertiary prevention suits best in preventing the sporadic spread of common diseases in America. This approach is essential since most African- Americans already affected by health disparities observed above. Health education and promotion, rehabilitation and re-focusing on health matters affecting black Americans would go a long way in terminating health related problems in America.