April is National Minority Health Month, an initiative led by HHS Office of Minority Health to raise awareness about the disparities in healthcare experienced by racial and ethnic minorities in the U.S.
To honor National Minority Health Month, the following stories highlight important issues affecting the healthcare of racial and ethnic minorities today.
1. Racial and ethnic minorities need more representation at the top. A study from the American Hospital Association shows roughly 47 percent of nonprofit hospitals did not have racial or ethnic minorities represented on their governing boards in 2013.
2. The physician shortage may be disproportionately affecting some minority populations. For example, the supply of Latino physicians is dropping rapidly, despite that the Latino population has seen explosive growth in the U.S. over the last couple decades. This poses an issue for Latino patients who may need access to language-concordant and culturally aligned care.
3. However, more Latinos are gaining healthcare insurance. Less than a year after the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's marketplaces opened, the uninsured rate for the Latino population dropped from 36 percent to 23 percent.
4. Another study found that minority patients may be at a disadvantage when it comes to accessing patient portals. Researchers found that race and ethnicity were the strongest predictors of portal registration, which has been shown to encourage patient engagement.
5. This study from NPR, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston shows how race, ethnicity and income can impact American's perceptions of their access to high-quality care and the causes of health issues. The study reveals what minorities view as the top causes of their health issues, suggesting ways communities and the healthcare system can help address disparities in healthcare for different racial and ethnic groups.
6. The good news: integrated care may help reduce racial disparity, according to a study that showed integrated healthcare systems have lower five-year mortality rates and no ethnic or racial disparities for colorectal cancer patients.
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