People from Ethnic Minority Group - Literature review Example

?People from ethnic minority group Inequalities in healthcare are one of the most rapidly increasing and significant public health concerns in the U.K. Recent evidence suggests that people from ethnic minority groups are more likely to suffer from poor health as compared to the rest of the population. The disparities in health are evident among the ethnic minority groups with regard to diseases such as diabetes, mental health, as well as cardiovascular diseases (Randhawa, 2007; Graham, 2009; Stillwell and van Ham, 2010). According to a survey conducted by Sprotson and Mindell (2006), it was observed that Bangladeshi and Pakistani population (including men and women), as well as women of Black Caribbean ethnicity, were highly likely to suffer from poor physical health as compared to the rest of the population. Furthermore, it was also observed that women of Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, and Caribbean descent were observed to be highly susceptible to diabetes. On the other hand, men belonging to Black Caribbean, Irish, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi descent were reported to have the highest prevalence of obesity as compared to the general population. According to available statistics, South Asian men in U.K. have a 50 per cent higher chance of having heart diseases as compared to the general population. The prevalence of cancer is also observed to be relatively higher among the South Asian, Caribbean, and African ethnic groups (Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology, 2007). In the Southeast England region, the health disparities are more or less similar. Fig 1: Health inequalities by ethnicity: Comparative chart – England and Kent region Source: www.healthprofiles.info Impact of healthcare disparities on the ethnic minority groups: It has been effectively established that the ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected with regard to access to healthcare. Such disparities in access to healthcare significantly increases the burden of disease for the said population resulting in a significant reduction in their abilities to participate actively in economic activities ultimately resulting in increased unemployment and, hence, poverty within their communities (Egede, 2006). Furthermore, the disproportionate burden of diseases borne by the ethnic minority groups leads to increased spending on healthcare. Racially and ethnically diverse populations are generally observed to have lower incomes as compared to the general population, which they are compelled to spend on healthcare services. Factors such as poverty and unemployment and the increased burden of healthcare spending drastically reduces their opportunity to access healthcare services resulting in higher mortality rates among such groups. Major reasons for disparities in health: Multicultural societies pose a serious challenge with regard to the provision of healthcare services across the diverse population groups. This is because the health concerns vary in accordance with the ethnicity and socio-cultural and economic background of the individuals (Sashidharan, 2003). People belonging to ethnic minority communities are known to be economically poorer in status and tend to live in poverty as compared to the general population (Raphael, Rioux, and Bryant, 2006). Studies indicate that one of the most significant reasons for the disparities in health is the fact that GPs often fail to interpret the common mental disorders that the ethnic minorities are likely to suffer from resulting in the subsequent failure to provide adequate psychological care and treatment (Sproston and Nazroo, 2002). The lack of adequate cultural and linguistic abilities of the healthcare providers is also being increasingly recognized and acknowledged as one of the key contributing factors leading to widespread disparities in access to healthcare among the ethnic minority groups. The health and wellbeing of individuals is largely dependent on their ability to communicate with the healthcare providers. The inability on the part of the healthcare providers to effectively communicate with culturally and linguistically different groups of population negatively influences the provision of healthcare among the said population (Smedley, Stith, and Nelson, 2003). Furthermore, factors such as inadequate information and knowledge among the ethnic populations regarding the availability of range of services due to linguistic barriers (Doyle, 1991). Some of the key barriers to inequitable distribution of healthcare services in the UK are described in the following diagram: Source: Cooper, Hill, and Powe (2002) People from ethnic minority communities often face various personal/family, structural as well as financial barriers (as mentioned in the above diagram). The personal barriers include acceptability, cultural, language/literacy etc. People belonging to ethnic minority groups experience difficulty in communicating with the healthcare providers due to literacy/ language barriers; structural barriers such as lack of access to transportation; as well as financial barriers - such as lack of availability of funds to seek required healthcare, appropriate insurance coverage etc. Such barriers prevents the use of key healthcare services such as primary or emergency care or exercise due caution in taking preventive steps. For instance, most of the ethnic minority population in the UK is represented by migrants, who due to various reasons may lack adequate knowledge regarding the diagnostic or therapeutic procedures required to overcome certain illnesses. This ultimately affects their health and results in a negative health outcome. Current policies adopted by the UK government to overcome ethnic disparities in healthcare: The Health and Social Care Bill aims to bring about positive healthcare reforms to overcome the ethnic disparities in healthcare provision in the UK. In accordance with the proposed reforms, the government plans to enable the creation of Public Health England, whereby all the local health improvement functions would be transferred to the local governments and supported by ring fenced funding allocated to the local government for this purpose. This strategy is likely to take effect from April 2013 (Department of Health, 2010). According to the Marmot Review published in February 2010, the following key recommendations / policy initiatives were proposed to overcome the ethnic disparities in healthcare provision: Creating fair employment across all sections of the society regardless of cultural or ethnic diversities; ensuring healthy standard of living for all; developing healthy sustainable places and communities to promote healthy living; strengthening the role and impact of ill-health prevention; as well as introducing child centered policies to ensure promoting and encouraging healthy upbringing and overall positive child development (UCL Institute of Health Equity, 2012) Recommendations: It is imperative for the government to introduce policies that strive to overcome and address the barriers caused due to linguistic and cultural barriers. Societies and countries today are becoming largely multicultural and, hence, it is inevitable for the administration to develop cultural competence through training and education in order to ensure equitable provision of healthcare services across all sections of the population. Racially, ethnic communities are a highly vulnerable section of the population and, hence, it is vital for the administration to offer culturally responsive and inclusive healthcare services aimed specifically at the target population to improve access to healthcare and reduce the burden of diseases among the said population. Conclusion: Ethnic disparities in healthcare have been widely documented by various researchers and are a topic of a serious concern for the authorities due to the various challenges it poses to the society. Overcoming such disparities has assumed increased significance and has become one of the top priorities and policy targets in the UK. The various reports and reviews conducted over the years indicate the negative implications of such disparities on the society as well as communities. The trends indicate a pressing need to introduce nationwide reform policies aimed at bridging this divide and overcome the social and economic costs to the nation. References: Cooper, L. A., Hill, M. N., & Powe, N. R. (2002). Designing and evaluating interventions to eliminate racial disparities in healthcare. Journal of General Internal Medicine. Vol. 17(6): p. 477-486. Department of Health (2010). Healthy lives, healthy people: Our strategy for public health in England. [online] Available at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_122252.pdf [Accessed: Jan 2, 2013] Doyle, Y. (1991). A survey of the cervical screening service in London district, including reasons for non-attendance, ethnic responses and views on the quality of the service. Social Science and Medicine Journal, 32: p. 953-957. Egede, L. E. (2006). Race, ethnicity, culture, and disparities in healthcare. Journal of General Medicine. Vol. 21(6): p. 667-669. Graham, H. (2009). Understanding health inequalities. Berkshire, England: McGraw Hill International Publication, p. 104-106. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2007). Ethnicity and health. [Online] Available at: http://www.parliament.uk/documents/post/postpn276.pdf [Accessed: Dec 31, 2012] Randhawa, G. (2007). Tackling health inequalities for minority ethnic groups: Challenges and opportunities. Race Equality Foundation [Online] Available at: http://www.hastingsbme.org.uk/health_files/health%20inequalities%20for%20BME%20groups%20jan%2009.pdf [Accessed: Dec 31, 2012] Raphael, H. D., Rioux, M. H., & Bryant, T. (2006). Staying alive: Critical perspectives on health, illness, and healthcare. Canadian Scholar's Press. Sashidharan, S. P. (2003). Inside outside: Improving mental health services for Black and minority ethnic communities in England. UK Department of Health. Smedley, B. D., Stith, A. Y., & Nelson, A. R. (2003). Unequal treatment: Confronting racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. Washington DC: National Academic Press. Sproston, K., & Mindell, J. (2006). Health survey for England, 2004. Vol. 1: The health of minority ethnic groups, London. The Information Center Publication. Sproston, K., & Nazroo, J. (2002). Ethnic minority psychiatric illness rates in the community. Quantitative Report. UK Department of Health. Stillwell, J. C. H., & van Ham, M. (2010). Ethnicity and integration. London, England : Springer Publication. UCL Institute of Health Equity (2012). Fair society healthy lives - The Marmot Review. [Online] Available at: http://www.instituteofhealthequity.org/projects/fair-society-healthy-lives-the-marmot-review [Accessed: Jan 2, 2013] Read More