Lack of Usual Source of Care: Implications & Options - Research Paper

Introduction

The other aspect is the need for a usual source of health care. According to MMHD, lack of a general place where individuals can access healthcare can lead to health disparity. Study shows that availability of typical site where individuals can be visiting regularly for health services can add an advantage over having health insurance. It can also increase the reception of preventive services. Lack of usual source of care is also related to low education and lack of insurance.

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Options

Despite various policies enacted to combat health disparity such as ACA, it persists. This implies that other factors cause health disparity. A strategy to deal with possible causes of third disparity is necessary. Among the option would be a policy that ensures that all individuals from the target groups have a usual place where they can access regular treatment. The advantage of this policy is that in addition to insurance provided to marginalized groups, it will also ensure that they can obtain proper health services, including preventative services. However, the limitation of such a policy is that it might not help in providing that it change the negative health behaviours common among the marginalized groups.

The other option would be developing a health access policy initiative that will address distinct causes of health disparity concerning a particular target group. This initiative can be used to address specific challenges that create barriers to health access to a specific population. Advantage of this approach is that it will tackle the hidden causes of health disparity that other policies such as affordable care for all have been unable to solve. For example, it can be used to ensure care delivery that incorporates cultural competence in health delivery and cultural influences on health behaviours.

Recommendation

A health access policy initiative will be the best option to combat the latent health diversity that exists in Maryland. It should start by the formation of a pilot project to determine hidden factors that limit the accessibility of health care in different groups. Health enterprise zones should then be introduced in various locations with health disparity problem. SEZs would serve as an intermediary between the patients and health providers by encouraging good health behaviours such as having usual care centre, active lifestyle, and receiving preventive care while keeping the health providers on a check to ensure they do not discriminate marginalized groups. This initiative will cause health care acceptability, affordability, accommodative, accessibility, and availability.

References

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Baquet, C. R., Bromwell, J. L., Hall, M. B., & Frego, J. F. (2013). The rural community-academic partnership model for community engagement and partnered research. Progress in Community Health Partnerships, 7(3), 281.

Breen, N., Berrigan, D., Jackson, J. S., Wong, D. W., Wood, F. B., Denny, J. C., ... & Bourne, P. E. (2019). Translational health disparities research in a data-rich world. Health equity, 3(1), 588-600.

Butler, M., McCreedy, E., Schwer, N., Burgess, D., Call, K., Przedworski, J., ... & Kane, R. L. (2016). Improving cultural competence to reduce health disparities.

Horowitz, A. M., & Kleinman, D. V. (2012). Oral health literacy: a pathway to reducing oral health disparities in Maryland. Journal of public health dentistry, 72, S26-S30.