Posted: October 31st, 2023

PHC 274 Discuss the difference between Diversity and Disparity

Health Planning
Course Code: PHC 274
CRN: 14220
Assignment title or task:
(You can write a question) 1. Question: Discuss the difference between Diversity and Disparity in relation to Health with example?

The Assignment is available in Course materials and activities under Week 6 by name Week 6 – Assignment.
This activity will comprise for 10 marks in the Total course work.
The Assignment is available from 1/October/2023 ie; Sunday 12:30 PM and due date 7/October/2023 ie; Saturday until 11:59 PM.

Assignment guidelines:

• Assignment must be submitted with properly filled cover sheet (Name, ID, Submission date) in word document, Pdf is not accepted.
• Avoid plagiarism.
• Word count- Maximum 500 -800 words for each answer.
• Font should be 12 Time New Roman.
• Color should be black.
• Line spacing should be 1.5.
• Don’t use bold or Italic or underline in your answer.
• References should be in APA style format only.

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Health equity and equality are important goals for any healthcare system. However, differences still exist in health outcomes and access to care between different groups. Two related but distinct concepts that help explain these differences are diversity and disparity. This article will explore the definitions of diversity and disparity, particularly as they relate to health, and provide examples of each.
Defining Diversity and Disparity
Diversity refers to the variety of differences that exist between groups of people (Healthy People, 2020). This includes characteristics such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, socioeconomic status, and other attributes. A diverse population or group is one that is comprised of people with a wide range of these characteristics. In healthcare, a system achieving diversity would have patients and providers from all walks of life.
Disparity, on the other hand, refers to differences in health that are avoidable, unnecessary and unjust (Braveman, 2014). Disparities in health are often linked to social, economic, or environmental disadvantages that adversely impact groups of people. For there to be a disparity, one group must experience a higher burden of illness, injury, disability or mortality than another group (Healthy People, 2020). Disparities can exist even when care is available and provided equitably if the burden of illness is not equally distributed (Braveman, 2014).
Examples of Diversity in Health
A healthcare system achieving diversity would have representation from all groups in the population. For example, the patient population and provider workforce of ABC Hospital is comprised of:
35% Hispanic/Latino patients (reflecting the local community demographics of 30% Hispanic/Latino residents)
25% Black/African American patients
40% female and 10% male nurses, reflecting the overall nursing workforce composition (Smiley et al., 2018)
5% of physicians identify as LGBTQ+ (Artiga et al., 2021)
15% of administrative staff have a disability (Houtenville et al., 2020)
This diversity in characteristics among patients and providers at ABC Hospital reflects inclusion of various groups. While not all groups are represented exactly proportionally, diversity is achieved through consideration and accommodation of differences that exist in the overall population.
Examples of Disparities in Health
Some examples that illustrate disparities rather than just diversity include:
Life expectancy is 4.6 years lower on average for Black/African American individuals compared to white individuals (Murphy et al., 2021).
American Indian/Alaska Native women have a homicide rate over twice as high as that of white women (Indian Health Service, 2022).
Lesbian and bisexual women have higher rates of obesity than heterosexual women (Boehmer et al., 2007).
Hispanics have higher rates of chronic liver disease and cirrhosis compared to non-Hispanic whites, due in part to disparities in risks like hepatitis C virus (Ma et al., 2019).
Individuals with low socioeconomic status have higher mortality rates from causes amenable to healthcare, indicating failures to receive quality care (Chetty et al., 2016).
These examples illustrate unavoidable differences in health outcomes between groups. They represent disparities rather than just natural diversity since the gaps could potentially be reduced by improved access to care and focus on social determinants of health.
Discussion
In summary, diversity and disparity are related concepts but refer to distinct phenomena. Diversity describes the representation of various groups, while disparity captures unjust differences in health burdens between those groups. For a healthcare system or population to be truly equitable, diversity must be achieved without any disparities in quality or outcomes existing between diverse groups. Continued monitoring of both diversity and disparity metrics is important for identifying gaps and guiding efforts to promote health equity.
Conclusion
This article has discussed the definitions of diversity and disparity, particularly as they apply to health. Examples were provided to illustrate diversity in healthcare systems and disparities in health outcomes and risks between different population groups. Understanding the distinction between these concepts is important for efforts aimed at achieving more inclusive, equitable, and just healthcare. Further research and policy initiatives should work to promote both diversity and eliminate all health disparities.
References
Artiga, S., Orgera, K., & Pham, O. (2021). LGBTQ community and its health care experiences. KFF. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/lgbtq-community-and-its-health-care-experiences/
Boehmer, U., Bowen, D. J., & Bauer, G. R. (2007). Overweight and obesity in sexual-minority women: evidence from population-based data. American journal of public health, 97(6), 1134–1140. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2006.088419
Braveman, P. (2014). What is health equity: and how does a life-course approach take us further toward it?. Maternal and child health journal, 18(2), 366–372. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-013-1226-9
Chetty, R., Stepner, M., Abraham, S., Lin, S., Scuderi, B., Turner, N., Bergeron, A., & Cutler, D. (2016). The association between income and life expectancy in the United States, 2001-2014. JAMA, 315(16), 1750–1766. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2016.4226
Healthy People 2020. Disparities. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/Disparities
Healthy People 2020. Diversity and inclusion. https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/topics-objectives/topic/social-determinants-health/interventions-resources/diversity-and-inclusion
Houtenville, A. J., Erickson, W. A., Lee, C. G., & Brucker, D. L. (2020). Disability Statistics from the American Community Survey (ACS). Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Yang-Tan Institute (YTI). www.disabilitystatistics.org
Indian Health Service. (2022). Disparities. https://www.ihs.gov/newsroom/factsheets/disparities/
Ma, J., Ward, E. M., Siegel, R. L., & Jemal, A. (2019). Temporal Trends in Mortality in the United States, 1969-2015. JAMA, 317(16), 1711–1723. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.4011
Murphy, S. L., Xu, J., Kochanek, K. D., & Arias, E. (2021). Mortality in the United States, 2020. NCHS Data Brief, no 427. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.
Smiley, R. A., Lauer, P., Bienemy, C., Berg, J. G., Shireman, E., Reneau, K. A., & Alexander, M. (2018). The 2017 National Nursing Workforce Survey. Journal of nursing regulation, 9(3), S1–S88. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2155-8256(18)30131-5