Running Head: QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE

An Investigation of the Quality of Healthca e a!ong A!e icans

"ada # o$n %o fol& 'tate Unive sity

Autho %ote "ada # o$n( )e*a t!ent of Inte disci*lina y 'tudies( %o fol& 'tate Unive sity+ Co es*ondence conce ning this *a*e should ,e add essed to "ada # o$n( )e*a t!ent of Inte disci*lina y 'tudies( %o fol& 'tate Unive sity( -.. /a & Avenue( %o fol&( 0A 123.4+ E5!ail: 6+t+, o$n788349s*a tans+nsu+edu+

Running Head: QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE

A,st act

This *a*e identifies t$o disci*lina y theo ies that a e integ ated to c eate a ne$( hy, id theo y+ The hy, id theo y is an e:*lanation of $hy the * o,le! e:ists+ The Health #elief Theo y and the 'ocial Lea ning Theo y $o & $ell ,y the!selves+ Once integ ated( they can add ess ho$ the ;uality of healthca e is affecting A!e icans+

Running Head: QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE

An Investigation of the Quality of Healthca e a!ong A!e icans The lac& of &no$ledge ega ding the ;uality of healthca e is affecting !any A!e icans+ The ;uality of health ca e eceived ,y A!e icans is e:t e!ely *oo as $ell as inconsistent+ 'tudies sho$ that the *oo outco!es elated to lo$ ;uality se vices is leading to lo$e life e:*ectancies+ The e a e * e!atu e deaths of individuals at all stages of life f o! ne$,o n to the elde ly due to the ho i,le health syste!+ <On ave age( in 1..=( A!e icans eceived -.> of indicated health ca e se vices and failed to eceive 2.> of the ca e they needed to t eat o * event *a ticula !edical conditions? @%ational Healthca e Quality Re*o t( 1.71( *+ =A+ In addition( a ;ua te of A!e icans e*o ted !any health dis*a ities that est icted thei ;uality of ca e+ Lo$ ;uality health ca e e!ain * evalent fo the !ost vulne a,le !e!,e s of ou society( *a ticula ly individuals $ho ,elong to acialBethnic !ino ity g ou*s( $ith li!ited English * oficiency @LE/A( and $ith less educational attain!ent and li!ited lite acy s&ills (/ o!oting Health Ca e E;uity( 1.7.( *+ 8=-A+ Health dis*a ities efe to ga*s in the ;uality of health and delive y of health ca e ac oss acial( ethnic( gende and socioecono!ic g ou*s @E;uity in Healthca e( 1.77( *+ 22A+ Health dis*a ities a e ,a ie s to high5;uality ca e+ Language is a!ong the !ost *o*ula ,a ie s+ Cany A!e icans s*ea& diffe ent languages in a health ca e envi on!ent+ The e a e *atients that s*ea& '*anish( 0ietna!ese( Chinese( etc+ These language ,a ie s can c eate * o,le!s+ If the hos*ital o *hysicianDs office does not have the * o*e e;ui*!ent to avoid language ,a ie s( *hysician !ay !isunde stand the co!*laint of the *atient( leading to a !isdiagnosis+

Running Head: QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE /oo education of A!e icans can also lead to dec eased * eventive ca e+ The *hysicianDs te !inology could ,e too advanced fo the *atient to unde stand+ Health lite acy issues !ay a ise $he e the *atient cannot <o,tain( * ocess( and unde stand ,asic

health info !ation and se vices needed to !a&e a** o* iate health decisions? @/ o!oting Health Ca e E;uity( 1.7.( *+ 8=8A+ The %ational Assess!ent of Adult Health Lite acy found that ove 22> of A!e icans have li!ited health lite acy s&ills+ This is co!!on fo acial and ethnic !ino ities( those $ith less education and functional lite acy s&ills( and LE/+ Ho$eve ( !any of these issues occu due to the lo$ education of the *hysician+ 'o!e docto s a e not al$ays &no$ledgea,le as they should ,e+ <A significant !a6o ity of the $o ldDs *o*ulation is $ithout a** o* iate healthca e( !ainly due to the education and t aining of docto s+ As a esult( the e a e an insufficient nu!,e of ;ualified docto s in !ost *a ts of the $o ld including $ealthie nations? @E;uity in Healthca e( 1.77( *+ 24A+ <Ho$ info !ation is delive ed to *atients is an indicato of ;uality? (/ o!oting Health Ca e E;uity( 1.7.( *+ 8=8A+ /ove ty is a co!!on ,a ie to the lo$5inco!e fa!ilies+ A!e icans that a e $ithout a 6o, have a ha d ti!e getting !edical insu ance+ Little o no insu ance and even high co*ay!ents can lead to e:*ensive out5of5*oc&et e:*enses+ The A!e icans that a e in *ove ty find it difficult to get the !oney fo these ,ills+ <A!ong !ino ity and lo$5 inco!e A!e icans( the level of health ca e ;uality and access to se vices e!ains unfavo a,le( and the siEe of dis*a ities elated to ace and inco!e va ied $idely ac oss the states? @Re*o t Highlights )is*a ities in Ca e( 1.77( *+ 7.1A+ These ,a ie s lo$e the ;uality of health se vices( $hich then lead to *oo attendance at the *hysicianDs office+ To su! it all u*( A!e icans a e not eceiving the ;uality of ca e that they dese ve and they

Running Head: QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE

do not even &no$ it+ In o de to ade;uately add ess this issue( I have chosen t$o diffe ent disci*lines $ith theo ies to su**o t the!+ 'ociology deals $ith the study of hu!an ,ehavio + /sychology is the study of the hu!an !ind+ #oth of these disci*lines a e elevant individually to add essing the issue+ Theo y F7: The Health #elief Theo y The Health #elief Theo y is a *sychological theo y that atte!*ts to t y to * edict and e:*lain health ,ehavio s+ This theo y is ,ased on the unde standing that a *e son $ill ta&e a health5 elated action @i+e+( not go to the docto A if that *e son: 7+ feels that a negative health condition can ,e avoided( 1+ has a *ositive e:*ectation that ,y ta&ing a eco!!ended action( heBshe $ill avoid a negative health condition( and 2+ ,elieves that heBshe can successfully ta&e a eco!!ended health action @Health #elief Codel( n+d+( *+ 7A The efo e( if *eo*le have a ce tain !indset that they $ill not *e ceive any health conditions( they $ill t y to avoid the docto Ds office as !uch as *ossi,le due to the lo$ ;uality health ca e se vices+

Running Head: QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE

Theo y F1: The 'ocial Lea ning Theo y On the othe hand( the 'ocial Lea ning Theo y is sociological theo y that atte!*ts to e:*lain socialiEation and its effect of the develo*!ent of the self+ <'ocial lea ning theo y conside s the fo !ation of oneDs identity to ,e a lea ned es*onse to social sti!uli+? @Ashley( n+d+( *+ 7A 'ocial lea ning theo ists ,elieve that the identity *eo*le o,tain is fo !ed !o e ,y the ,ehavio s and attitudes of othe s+ #ased u*on this theo y( *eo*le $ho have e:*e ienced lo$ ;uality ca e can influence othe s not go to the docto + <On ave age( in 1..=( A!e icans eceived -.> of indicated health ca e se vices and failed to eceive 2.> of the ca e they needed to t eat o * event *a ticula !edical conditions? @%ational Healthca e Quality Re*o t( 1.71( *+ =A+ Fo this eason( including all the othe ,a ie s( the e has ,een a dec ease in attendance at the docto Ds office+

Running Head: QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE

Hy, id Theo y Once integ ated( these theo ies can ,eco!e one called the 'ocial5Health Theo y+ Once these t$o theo ies a e integ ated( they can e:*lain $hy this societal issue e:ists+ The un*e ceived se iousness of a condition( the st ong societal influence( and the lac& of education a!ong *eo*le a e all facto s esulting in the lo$ ;uality healthca e se vices+ /eo*le need to ,e educated and *e ceive the situation as ,eing se ious to !a&e things ,ette + If one *e son sta ts then the e could ,e a st ong societal influence+ It could ,e li&e a do!ino effect+ /eo*le have seve al ,ad e:*e iences and co!*letely avoid visiting healthca e * ovide s+ If A!e icans continue to eceive lo$ ;uality ca e( the de!and fo health se vices $ill dec ease+ This is an issue not only the *atients( ,ut also the health * ovide s+

Running Head: QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE

/e ceived se iousness of a condition Education

't ong societal influence This continuous * ocess could lead to change+ These si!*le ste*s could change a lot+ Continuation of this * ocess

)iscussion 'tudying the effects of the ;uality of healthca e affecting A!e icans is hel*ful to !any *eo*le+ They can finally unde stand the ,a ie s that a e holding the! ,ac& f o! eceiving the * o*e ca e+ Resea che s and health * ovide s should ta&e ste*s to add ess ga*s in ;uality ca e and access to se vices+ If these t$o disci*lines a e integ ated( they can hel* us all to ,eco!e !o e educated and &no$ $hy this issue is a !a6o * o,le! in A!e ica+

Running Head: QUALITY OF HEALTHCARE

Refe ences Ashley( C+ @n+d+A+ 'ocial Lea ning Theo y+ About.com Sociology+ Ret ieved %ove!,e 13( 1.72( f o! htt*:BBsociology+a,out+co!BodB'ociological5Theo yBaB'ocial5 Lea ning5Theo y+ht! Hasnain5Hynia( R+( I Holf( C+ '+ @1.7.( AugustA+ / o!oting Health Ca e E;uity: Is Health Lite acy a Cissing Lin&J Health Services Research+ **+ 8=-5=.2+ doi:7.+7777B6+74-35G--2+1.7.+.7724+:+ Health #elief Codel+ @n+d+A+ University of Twente+ Ret ieved %ove!,e 1G( 1.72( f o! htt*:BB$$$+ut$ente+nlBc$Btheo ieenove EichtBtheo y>1.cluste sBhealth >1.co!!unicationBhealthK,eliefK!odel+docB %ational Healthca e Quality Re*o t 1.71+ @1.72A+ Medical Benefits( 3 @72A( =57. Qid$ai( H+( Ashfa;( T+( Lho6a( T+ C+( Ce chant( L+( 'enevi atne( A+( Fahi!( A+( I +++ Ayan&og,e( O+ @1.77A+ E;uity in Healthca e: 'tatus( #a ie s( and Challenges+ Middle !ast "ournal of #amily Medicine( $@GA( 22528+