Ethical Disparities In The Healthcare System

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Health and wealth have always gone hand in hand, and those who are economically disadvantaged are those who suffer the most. Income inequality can exacerbate these disparities in access to the quality and outcomes of healthcare services. These differences are seen in the access to facilities or availability of services within the healthcare system. Research suggests a relationship between health and income inequality, revealing that low incomes are associated with higher rates of disease given they are not provided with basic healthcare needs and services. Another equally important detail within the American healthcare system is the groups or communities such as ethnicity, race, gender, and socio-economic characteristics that are prone to healthcare disparities. Furthermore, according to the Institute of Medicine, “health disparities are racial and ethical differences in the quality of healthcare that are not due to access-related factors or clinical needs, preferences, and appropriateness of intervention.” In other words, health disparities are known as the differences in the status or quality of health …show more content…
These countries with universal healthcare keep factors like life expectancy and preventable risks such as mortality rates as significantly important measures to upkeep. By doing this, other countries achieve better overall health outcomes in comparison to the United States. Although, the American healthcare system emphasizes preventative care or early intervention, which then contributes to lower morality rates and higher life expectancies. Unfortunately, with such disparities being existent, they are then attributed to the higher rates of chronic diseases or just poorer healthcare in