Description of the chosen Healthy People 2020 Topic Area and Specific Health Issue
The chief aim of the Healthy People 2020 initiative is to provide equitable healthcare opportunities for Americans. It is believed that the program is to eliminate disparities in the provision of medical services. However, many challenges were found to cause healthcare inconsistencies among the American people. Just like in other countries, some American population groups have particular difficulties that inhibit them from accessing quality healthcare. People residing in remote areas are often disadvantaged due to their geographical locations and adherence to traditionalism. The most significant issue identified with marginalized populations is insufficient communication channels and inaccessibility to educational resources, such as information technology, to keep them abreast of emerging issues within the healthcare industry.
A particular health problem that has escalated dissimilarity in the delivery of healthcare is the deficiency of proper communication tools and channels among some American populations. Marginalized cultural groups include immigrants from Argentina Brazil and Caribbean islands, American-Indians, African-Americans, Asians, Alaska natives, as well as the pacific islanders and Hispanics (Berge et al., 2018). These populations, together with some Native Americans grapple with financial challenges and inaccessibility to information technology tools. This situation has limited access to vital information about healthcare, restraining their capacities to access affordable healthcare provided by the American government. A research that was conducted by Berge et al. (2018) identified disparities in the provision of medical services among African-Americans, Indians, Hispanics, and Asian Minority groups who had little or no access to healthcare information. This realization limits the achievement of equitable healthcare as outlined in the Healthy People 2020 initiative.
Contrasting the Causes of Disparities Related to This Health Issue within Populations
Marginalized and minority groups are often underserved by the healthcare delivery units. As a result, disease outbreaks hit them severely as compared to other American populations. Such underprivileged communities are faced with limited access to health information and medical attention. While the rich families comprise the main American cultures, the financially unstable citizens form the underserved group. Inaccessibility to healthcare information and feeble government concern results in disparities in the provision of medical services, exposing underprivileged people to alarming rates of infectious diseases.
The reasons and causes for inequitable healthcare vary from one American group to the other. A primary characteristic that creates a difference between the accessibility and lack of adequate health information is the affordability of appropriate instruments and internet facilities that are handy in accessing e-health portals and online forums. Berge et al. (2018) reveal that American citizens of one cultural descent may lack sufficient financial ability to purchase internet-enabled gadgets such as smartphones, personal computers, and tablets. This situation makes such a population vulnerable to healthcare problems because they have limited access to information about the signs, symptoms, and prevention of particular diseases.
On the other hand, some prosperous American groups dwelling in the urban areas have the financial stability to acquire gadgets that can enable them to access e-health portals and improve communication with medical providers. Nonetheless, such people may also experience difficulties in accessing healthcare due to incompetency in reading and understanding information posted on e-health websites.
Proposal for a Public Health Communication Strategy to Reduce Disparity and Promote Health
A communication plan that critically reduces disparity and promotes health among the American people is the initiation of campaigns and public debates to create healthcare awareness. Through the ministry of health, the US government should lead the states in enacting policies that would ensure the delivery of healthcare services to underprivileged communities (van Rosse et al., 2016). Marginalized groups lack access to healthcare due to limited communication and availability of medical information; hence, there is a need to create awareness of medical support services that would increase accessibility to treatment and knowledge about disease control and management.
A recommended communication strategy suitable for effective healthcare delivery to both minority and majority populations is implementing innovative solutions such as Telehealth. This technology can play a significant role in enabling the underserved Americans in marginalized areas to access enormous health information, creating awareness of their health statuses. For instance, van Rosse et al. (2016) reveals that cardiovascular-related diseases have affected many people living in rural America. Telehealth is a probable solution to the introduction of information technologies, which will improve access to e-health services, especially among underserved populations. Telehealth, e-health, and communal awareness campaigns will be critical in promoting equality and reducing disparity in the provision of healthcare services in America.
Outline a Plan for the Communication
A robust communication plan would entail integrating numerous processes to reduce the unequal provision of healthcare among Americans. The following steps outline a viable strategy that can be executed to minimize inequality in healthcare.
- The initial step will entail creating awareness through public campaigns and health advertisements. This stage will involve persuading Americans perceived as underserved to enroll in Medicaid, Medicare, and Obama Care health services (Berge et al., 2018). Unemployed, old-aged, and disabled citizens will also be encouraged to register for these services through campaigns and radio broadcasts.
- The next plan will involve integrating Telehealth and information technology systems into health care. Increased the availability of health information in electronic media will enable marginalized and minority groups to access healthcare-related data, allowing them to know how to respond to particular medical concerns (Berge et al., 2018). The application of electronic devices will play a tremendous role in reducing disparity in healthcare. In this view, there will be a need to develop health applications that link patients, doctors, and physicians, boosting equity in care provision.
- Lastly, the communication plan will entail adopting culture-specific languages to improve healthcare information from different American groups. The strategy will also integrate different cultural ethics and standards aimed at achieving the Healthy People 2020 initiative.
An Evaluation Plan for Communication
The evaluation plan will involve the assessment of care access among American cultural groups. Examining the number of users who downloaded and installed the Telehealth application will be necessary to approximate the size of the population attracted to the Medicaid and Medicare services among the underserved groups (Howell et al., 2017). The plan will also evaluate the mortality rates between people with adequate access to healthcare and underserved populations. The results will be used to draw feasible conclusions to fulfill the Health People 2020 initiative.
Targeted Communication for Each Population
Different groups will require tailored communication to ensure that the intended healthcare information is passed to them effectively. For instance, there will be a need to create awareness and coax African-Americans to use Telehealth apps to register for Medicaid services (Howell et al., 2017). Education will be conducted at different levels to familiarize the groups with particular populations susceptible to certain types of cancers. Sensitization to Medicare services is expected to encourage most disadvantaged Americans to access the e-health portal on android applications. Wealthy individuals who cannot comprehend the data will be educated through radio broadcasts to improve access to care, bridging the literacy gap within the American society.
Reflection
The accomplishment of this project has led to the understanding that some American populations are marginalized and unable to access adequate healthcare. Residents in many cities across the United States have access to medical services due to the possession of tech-savvy gadgets such as smartphones, computers, and tablets, enabling the retrieval and comparison of health-related information. I have also known that the application of robust healthcare strategies and campaigns will break the communication barriers and improve access to medical services among marginalized or underserved American populations.
References
Berge, J. M., Fertig, A., Tate, A., Trofholz, A., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2018). Who is meeting the Healthy People 2020 objectives? Comparisons between racially/ethnically diverse and immigrant children and adults. Families, Systems, & Health, 36(4), 451.
Howell, E. A., Janevic, T., Hebert, P. L., Egorova, N. N., Balbierz, A., & Zeitlin, J. (2018). Differences in morbidity and mortality rates in black, white, and Hispanic very preterm infants among New York City hospitals. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(3), 269-277.
van Rosse, F., de Bruijne, M., Suurmond, J., Essink-Bot, M. L., & Wagner, C. (2016). Language barriers and patient safety risks in-hospital care. A mixed methods study. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 54, 45-53.