Open AccessCOVID: Health Inequities Exposed and How We Can Do Better
Author(s) -
Timothy P. McNamara,
Kara Mann,
Josephin Mathai
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
hca healthcare journal of medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2690-3830
pISSN - 2689-0216
DOI - 10.36518/2689-0216.1437
Subject(s) - covid-19 , equity (law) , pandemic , health equity , health care , inequality , healthcare system , public health , political science , economic growth , business , medicine , economics , nursing , virology , law , infectious disease (medical specialty) , mathematical analysis , mathematics , disease , pathology , outbreak
Description If a fair and just healthcare system is the goal, then the COVID-19 pandemic proves America still has a long way to go in its effort to achieve health equity for all. Inequalities in the healthcare landscape have been amassing for decades. Lack of access to quality care, underfunded public health programs, and the rising cost of treatment are just a few of the proposed origins of systemic inequity-all of which were apparent long before COVID-19's arrival. Will observing these deep-seated issues under the lens of an ongoing pandemic shine a brighter light on these enduring disparities? More importantly, what can we, as healthcare providers, do to accelerate change?