Ethnic and Racial Health Care Disparities and Disease

The Department of Health and Human Service (DHHS) Healthy People 2010 framework made a statement about a nation's concern for health. The two goals established were to increase quality and years of healthy life, and to eliminate health disparities.

This assignment asks you to identify, reflect on, and build awareness about disparities in health and diseases between ethnic and racial groups. The following activities or considerations are important in preparing to submit your assignment:

• After completing the studies in this unit, visit the CultureVision Web site, HealthyPeople.gov, or similar sources. Select two ethnic or racial groups, and use one or both Web sites to study illnesses and related issues, health promotion, or other health disparities for this assignment.
• For your course project, you will be selecting ethnic groups to develop a Cultural Competence Development Plan for an organization that you choose. With this in mind, consider using this assignment to begin your research on the ethnic group you plan to use for your project.
• Locus of control is an important factor when considering how much control different groups and individuals have over their own health. For example, Richard L. Daft (2008) discusses those who have internal locus of control (they have control) or external locus of control (left to fate or outside influences).

In a 2-3 page paper, address the following:

• Select two ethnic or racial groups. Identify and discuss in detail at least one illness or disease for which this group shows a high incidence rate. Include your explanation, or hypothesis, for the possible reasons involved.
• For the two groups you select, consider one health care disparity for each. Identify possible explanations for the disparity in relation to each group. As you think about locus of control, to what extent do you think each ethnic or racial group has control over decreasing health care disparities?
• Place yourself in the role of a health care leader. Imagine that your hospital had a significant aging population among patients. How important would it be for your staff to understand disease prevention and health promotion for the aging, and how might you lead this effort?

Review the Ethnic and Racial Health Care Disparities and Disease Scoring Guide to see how you will be graded on this assignment.