DiversityInc - May 2006

DR. NICOLE LURIE

LURIE: “One of the biggest parts needs to be changes to just awareness of the nature and magnitude of the problem. It’s hard for people to solve a problem if they don’t know it exists and don’t have a way to regularly look and see if they’re making progress. We need more public information and data to track how we’re doing.”

TAYLOR-CLARK: “The biggest challenge facing those working to close the gap is political will. Political will requires that several factors—including interest-group support, media coverage, public support, congressional will and a responsive political environment— are developed in order to create government policies and programs that are both effective and sustainable.”

HONDA: “In order to close the gap, the underlying causes of the problem must be addressed. Many determinants of health fall outside the scope of healthcare institutions. Therefore, the biggest challenge is to implement innovative ideas that effectively address societal and economic inequities. For example, The Opportunity Agenda [a com-

munications, research and advocacy organization] recommends that we quickly modernize the traditional safety net by moving Americans from poverty and crisis to economic security and mobility. This would include implementing a system of high-quality, equitable and comprehensive healthcare that covers all Americans’ basic health needs. It would also involve expanding state and federal food-assistance programs such as food stamps and school lunches to serve all children and adults in need and give grocery stores incentives to make affordable, nutritious foods available in low-income urban and rural communities. To help families out of poverty, we should also implement programs that help lower-income families save money, build assets and acquire financial skills. These examples are only part of what is necessary to get our nation back on track.”

BEAL: “The biggest single challenge is trying to find out the root causes of disparities, and then developing interventions that will address those root causes, which are likely going to be multifactorial.”

ROWE: “Removal of barriers to healthcare access affecting Americans of racial and ethnic minority groups is the biggest challenge facing those working to eliminate disparities. Understanding the barriers is an essential first step, and no small task …

The inability to pay for care or treatments is a primary barrier to access. Lack of money or health insurance is further complicated by secondary barriers—transportation, childcare, waiting times and general inconveniences. Even when these barriers are overcome, language and cultural barriers still pose obstacles to quality care. At the very least,

patients must be able to communicate with their health professional.”

CHARLOTTE O. MCKINES: “One significant opportunity is for the healthcare industry to create patient-education programs and materials that respect the health literacy of the patient/consumer. Understanding and accommodating patient-health literacy allows the patient to access information they can readily and effectively use and put in action in their everyday lives. It empowers patients to play a greater role in directly managing their health through food choices, lifestyle changes and more meaningful interaction with healthcare providers. Meeting consumers where they live and speaking in culturally relevant, non-medical terms will open doors that help them detect early-warning signs of a disease state and be more aware, informed and proactive managers of their own health.”