Health Disparities

Eliminating Health Disparities among segments of the nation’s population is the second major goal of Healthy People 2010.

What are Health Disparities?

"Disparities in healthcare are racial or ethnic differences in the quality of healthcare that are not due to access-related factors or clinical needs, preferences, and appropriateness of intervention."  (Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care (2003).  DHHS Publication No. (PHS) 83-1232. Washington, DC. p4.)  

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) recently released the first National report on Health Care Disparities.

• Assessing Health Care Quality for Minority and Other Disparity Populations (Prepared for AHRQ by Kevin Fiscella, MD, MPH, University of Rochester, 2003)
• View proceedings from a Workshop by AHRQ on Health Care Disparities for Senior State Policymakers.
• Read more from AHRQ on Health Care Disparities, enter “health care disparities” in the search box.

The National Health Disparities Collaborative: The National Health Disparities Collaborative was developed to eliminate health disparities by improving health care delivery systems and consequently, improve health outcomes for everyone. Partners at the national level include:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 
• Environmental Protection Agency,
• National Cancer Institute,
• National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC),
• Migrant Clinicians Network,
• National Network for Oral Health Access, and
• Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians' Network.

Other Resources:

American Medical Association: Eliminating Health Disparities. Provides links to AMA projects that focus on eliminating health disparities.

American Psychological Association: Fact Sheet on Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

American Public Health Association, Health Disparities Project and Interventions Database; allows user to search on health disparities using various criteria.

National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities

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Page last updated: 06/15/2006

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