title: When all do not have the same. Health disparities.
abstract: Eradicating health disparities and increasing health-related quality of life are the overall goals of Healthy People 2010. To achieve these goals requires that healthcare providers have an understanding of respect for individuals, trust, and implications of distributing resources equitably within society. The purposes of this article are to discuss health disparities and to briefly describe how ethics helps healthcare providers address health disparities. In addition, strategies that professional nurses can incorporate into their clinical practice in order to reduce health disparities are presented.
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Chronic Disorders, School of Nursing, Center for Bioethics and Health Law, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Judith A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Erlen
mesh_terms: D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006292:Health Priorities; D006297:Health Services Accessibility / Q000592:standards; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009723:Nurse-Patient Relations; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010344:Patient Advocacy; D011788:Quality of Life; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D035502:Trust; D014481:United States; D035862:Vulnerable Populations