PROFESSIONCare better for blacks, worse for HispanicsThe black-white health care gap has narrowed on 58% of quality measures studied, while Hispanics saw the gap widen on more than half of those quality measures.By Kevin B. O'Reilly, amednews staff. Feb. 6, 2006. The racial and ethnic gap in health care quality and access is narrowing or remaining steady for blacks, Asians and American Indians, but it is widening considerably for America's largest and fastest-growing minority group, Hispanics, according to a report that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality issued in January. Blacks, Asians and American Indians saw their access to care inch closer to that of whites, according to the "2005 National Healthcare Disparities Report." The black-white health care quality gap improved on 23 of 40 measures the study examines. About half of the quality measures for Asians and American Indians improved, while the other half worsened, the study showed. In contrast, the interval between the quality of care Hispanics receive versus the care whites receive grew for 20 of 34 items the study measured to determine the caliber of medical treatment. Disparities worsened on five of six items used to measure health care access. In particular, the Hispanic-white quality gap in treatment of tuberculosis, diabetes and mental illness worsened, as did disparities in timely treatment of injuries and illnesses and regular dental visits. "It wasn't surprising that Hispanics were worse off," said Elena Rios, MD, MSPH, president of the National Hispanic Medical Assn. "What was shocking was how much worse it was for Hispanics. ... There is a tremendous need, more than we have ever anticipated, for the health system to respond to the unique needs of the Hispanic community." [...]Full text of American Medical News content is available to AMA members and paid subscribers.
Copyright 2006 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
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