Health Care Disparities

Health disparities refer to differences in disease incidence, disease mortality, and health outcomes between groups of people. Health care disparities refer to differences in access to and quality of health care between different groups of people. Health is influenced by many factors, which are generally organized into five interconnected categories called the determinants of health: genetics, behavior, environmental and physical influences, medical care, and social factors. Disparities in both health and health care are avoidable and linked with social, economic, and environmental disadvantages. In addition to impacting the groups experiencing them, such disparities limit improvements in quality of care and overall health for the broader population.

In the United States, disparities in health and health care exist based on race...