Healthcare inequalities in paediatric respiratory diseases.
Identifying that health inequalities exist is not enough; nor does the knowledge that a patient has a high-risk genotype or comes from a higher risk socioeconomic background does not, by itself, help the patient. To thoroughly examine the origins of health disparities, a broad view of environmental and molecular influences must be included. As these factors are identified, it is important to focus on interventions that can change outcomes for patients. Tools for education, community involvement, literacy, and environmental safety need to be developed, tested and disseminated. The basic science of health disparities must move forward in a coordinated fashion by structuring research that is an integrated effort between basic sciences, clinical medicine and include all traditionally underserved communities. Only through these collaborations can we hope to eliminate health inequalities in the future.
Children's Memorial Hospital, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 2300 Children's Plaza Box # 43, Chicago, IL 60614, USA. kwatts@childrensmemorial.org
Kimberly Danieli
KD
Watts
D002648:Child; D057220:Health Literacy; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D006801:Humans; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010372:Pediatrics; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors