Aaron Kaytura Felix, Chesley Francis D
Office of Priority Populations Research, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA.
Ethn Dis. 2003 Summer;13(3 Suppl 3):S3-9-11.
Racial and ethnic disparities in health care are well documented and can be discussed in 3 broad categories: health system factors, patient-level factors, and patient/provider interaction. Clinicians and others working in health care and related fields are knowledgeable about disparities in health, but the general US population is not. Racial/ethnic disparities are most striking in life expectancy, infant mortality, and lack of health insurance. The inaugural edition of the National Healthcare Disparities Report, due out in 2003, will provide valuable insights into the state of health care in America, including a comprehensive view of disparities in health care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality is conducting and supporting research, data collection, and other initiatives aimed at reducing racial/ethnic disparities in health care. The documented disparities in health care represent a critical opportunity for quality improvement that requires input from all sectors, including policymakers, providers, community leaders, and patients.
医疗保健中的种族和族裔差异有充分的文献记载，可分为三大类进行讨论：卫生系统因素、患者层面因素以及患者/提供者互动。在医疗保健及相关领域工作的临床医生和其他人员了解健康方面的差异，但美国普通民众并不了解。种族/族裔差异在预期寿命、婴儿死亡率和缺乏医疗保险方面最为显著。将于2003年发布的首份《国家医疗保健差异报告》将为美国医疗保健状况提供宝贵见解，包括对医疗保健差异的全面审视。医疗保健研究与质量局正在开展并支持旨在减少医疗保健中种族/族裔差异的研究、数据收集及其他举措。已记录在案的医疗保健差异是质量改进的关键契机，需要包括政策制定者、提供者、社区领袖和患者在内的所有部门的投入。
