Healthcare practitioners offer timely and quality medical services to more people from diverse backgrounds (Price & Khubchandani, 2016). I have been providing medical support and care to different members of our community. The neighborhood is composed by different populations with diverse cultural practices. Majority of the people in the community are Latinos and African Americans. The community has been dealing with a wide range of health conditions and diseases.
Prevalent Diseases and Issues
Several conditions make it impossible for more citizens in the community to lead quality lifestyles. The first issue is that of homelessness. The community has a considerable number of people who do not have homes. Drug abuse and alcoholism are common issues affecting the two major populations. Problems such as discrimination, lack of opportunities, and health disparities affect the people’s quality of life (Noonan, Velasco-Mondragon, & Wagner, 2016). The populations are affected by a various diseases such as cancer, obesity, and diabetes. These stressors and diseases should be considered in an attempt to come up with evidence-based support systems for the community.
Comparing and Contrasting African Americans and Latinos
The undeniable fact is that both Latinos and African Americans in the community encounter a wide range of similar problems. The first one is that the two groups suffer from the problem of discrimination. Most of the people do not have access to quality healthcare. This gap has led to disparities in care delivery. The social and economic positions of these populations have been associated with stress. Diseases such as obesity and diabetes affect members of these racial groups.
Stressors such as discrimination, homelessness, lack of quality education, and inadequate care delivery models affect families and members of these two groups (Price & Khubchandani, 2016). The individuals encounter similar economic and social challenges.
There are some differences in terms of the conditions and problems affecting the two groups. Many African Americans record increased death rates. This issue affects many chidlren and elderly citizens. Latinos have better access to healthcare in comparison with African Americans. Infant mortality is quite higher among African Americans. There are significant differences in the number of people affected by cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Homicide affects more African Americans (Noonan et al., 2016). Many African Americans lack employment opportunities and adequate finances. On the other hand, suicide is quite high among Latinos compared to African Americans.
Refining My Practice
This information can guide me to develop a better model to meet the unique needs of these two populations. To begin with, I will design a culturally competent approach that seeks to support the health needs of every targeted person. The model will ensure every care delivery model is informed by the unique challenges, issues, and needs of the patient. The process will ensure the model serves individuals from the two populations equally (Price & Khubchandani, 2016). The inclusion of multidisciplinary teams in my practice will ensure every care delivery is informed by the patient’s needs.
The idea of alternative medicine can be considered since both Latinos and African Americans embrace the practice. Care plans targeting African Americans will focus on their religious values, traditional practices, and family stressors. The model will also be designed depending on the resources available in the community (Noonan et al., 2016). This means that different facilities and health promotion programs targeting each population will be support each customized care plan. With a proper understanding of the financial and social gaps facing these populations, it will be easier to develop an evidence-based practice to meet their diverse health needs.
References
Noonan, A., Velasco-Mondragon, H., & Wagner, F. (2016). Improving the health of African Americans in the USA: An overdue opportunity for social justice. Public Health Reviews, 37(12), 1-20. Web.
Price, J., & Khubchandani, J. (2016). Health education research and practice literature on Hispanic health issues: Have we lost sight of the largest minority population? Health Promotion Practice, 17(2), 1-12. Web.