title: Equity in health care.
abstract: It has long been known that a segment of the population enjoys distinctly better health status and higher quality of health care than others. To solve this problem, prioritization is unavoidable, and the question is how priorities should be set. Rational priority setting would seek equity amongst the whole population, the extent to which people receive equal care for equal needs. Equity in health care is an ethical imperative not only because of the intrinsic worth of good health, or the value that society places on good health, but because, without good health, people would be unable to enjoy life's other sources of happiness. This paper also argues the importance of the health care's efficiency, but at the same time, it highlights how any innovation and rationalization undertaken in the provision of the health system should be achieved from the consideration of human dignity, making the person prevail over economic criteria. Therefore, the underlying principles on which this health care equity paper is based are fundamental human rights. The main aim is to ensure the implementation of these essential rights by those carrying out public duties. Viewed from this angle, equity in health care means equality: equality in access to services and treatment, and equality in the quality of care provided. As a result, this paper attempts to address both human dignity and efficiency through the context of equity to reconcile them in the middle ground.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermería Comunitaria y Materno Infantil, Escuela Universitaria de Enfermería, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona (España). vlarsal@alumni.unav.es
authors.forename: Virginia
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: La Rosa-Salas
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tricas-Sauras
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000941:ethics*; D006801:Humans; D012935:Social Justice