Disparities in Health Care

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - They are called health disparities. When we use that term we're talking about differences in care for different people. It is usually based on economic and racial lines.

The goal in healthcare today is to try to eliminate them or at least equalize care as much as possible. The first step in doing this is recognizing that there is a problem. In the past 5 to 10 years there have been numerous studies which have shown us that certain racial groups do not necessarily get the same medical tests or quality care on a consistent basis.

One of the best weapons against this is that we are now seeing people entering healthcare from a wide variety of backgrounds. This will help reduce intentional and unintentional differences. That is because an understanding of culture is often very important in providing care.

The other major step is the development of electronic medical records. We now will be able to look at statistics very closely and see what changes need to be made. The goal in healthcare is to provide equal care for everyone.

Reported By Dr. Brian McDonough, KYW Newsradio