CONCLUSIONS | Mysite

CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Our group's final project for the Patient Safety: COVID-19 Fellowship focuses on the impacts of a novel influenza pandemic on a health system. Through our ECOSYSTEM table, we illustrate the stakeholders of that hospital system and how they interact. However, during our Fellowship programs and group analysis, we have all been appalled by the ongoing racial disparities in the access to healthcare, treatment, diagnosis, and prognosis of the current pandemic. For that reason, we chose to include the issue of racial disparity as part of our project.

Minority populations:

Are more likely to lack health insurance
Are more likely to live in areas without quality health care facilities
Have unequal health outcomes
Experienced unethical medical practices, leading to a level of distrust of treatments

Are more likely to have symptoms over looked or pain disbelieved
Are more likely to be turned away from health care facilities
Spend a higher percentage of family income on health care
Have less access to technology

Unless concerted efforts are made to understand and address racial disparities in health care especially during pandemics, it will be impossible to overcome it.

Based on our research and analysis during the Fellowship, the InFLUencers developed the following recommendations:

RECOMMENDATIONS:

There is a need for commitment to diversity to prevent racial disparities. This cannot be accomplished by simply acknowledging the problem.

There is a need for substantial policy changes to address the racial disparity throughout the healthcare system.

There is a need to facilitate the coordination of the healthcare system and community partners with existing and emerging technology solutions.

It is essential to assess the lessons learned during COVID-19 and other pandemics to avoid repeating the same errors in the future.

The underlying causes of poverty and chronic illness must be addressed.

Ensure involvement of community representatives of minority groups in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of interventions to address the pandemic.

Key decision-makers should obtain input and involvement from minority populations regarding health policy changes.

There is a need for policy makers and the government to continue addressing the social determinants of health.

Implement culturally and linguistically appropriate and diverse interventions.

The Century Foundation, Racism, Inequality, and Health Care for African Americans, accessed July 14, 2020. https://tcf.org/content/report/racism-inequality-health-care-african-americans/?agreed=1