The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is a governmental organization that protects the rights of people with adverse social determinants of health. This institution prepares annual reports where various aspects of disparities in providing healthcare for different types of populations are described. This information is important as it allows to further clarify the needs of certain population groups and gaps in service provision. The report distinguishes six indicators of healthcare quality and further comparison. These are “patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, effective treatment, healthy living, and care affordability” (“2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report,” 2021). Altogether, there are 250 such indicators that help determine the gaps in better detail.
This information is highly useful in advocating for the disadvantaged groups of the population, as healthcare institutions can see the statistical data regarding specific groups and directions of services. For example, the data can help to fairly prioritize the groups for vaccinations for COVID-19 (Persad et al., 2020). This is important, since “disadvantage has multiple interrelated dimensions including socioeconomic deprivation and oppression, higher risk of dying earlier in life, and medical vulnerability” (Persad et al., 2020, p. 1601). Obesity prevention is another good example of using the information from the report. Advocating for obesity prevention should consider equity issues, including environmental physical, economic, social, and information that forms the life system of population groups (Kumanyika, 2019). Thus, the details regarding the measures of access to care, patient safety, person-centered care, care coordination, the effectiveness of care, healthy living, affordable care, and priority populations can be highly useful in advocating for vulnerable groups. Therefore, the reports should be widely used by nurses and other medical practitioners who advocate for patients’ health.
References
2021 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (2021). AHRQ. Web.
Kumanyika, S. K. (2019). A framework for increasing equity impact in obesity prevention. American Journal of Public Health, 109(10), 1350-1357.
Persad, G., Peek, M. E., & Emanuel, E. J. (2020). Fairly prioritizing groups for access to COVID-19 vaccines. Jama, 324(16), 1601-1602.