IPPCR - Health Disparities Research: Better Health Outcomes for All Part 1 of 4

>> Larissa Aviles-Santa: Hello. I am Dr. Larissa Aviles-Santa, Director of Clinical and Health Services Research at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health, and welcome to the lecture on "Health Disparities Research: Better Health Outcomes for All". In this lecture, I will briefly describe the concept of health disparities,

illustrate the multi-dimensional levels of factors that influence health along the life course, and discuss some examples of publications on health or health care disparities and the multi-dimensional factors that could have influenced or contributed to the findings. What are health and healthcare disparities? They are differences in health and healthcare that are linked with social, economic,

and or environmental disadvantage. They are beyond biological or genetic differences. They are also created with challenges or obstacles to attaining healthcare. They are also associated with suboptimal quality of healthcare or inadequate access to optimal healthcare resources. And most, if not all, populations who confront health disparities have experienced discrimination or exclusion. Why is it important to study health disparities?

The answer is purpose driven. To ensure that we are identifying and defining them well, reducing and eliminating them wherever we find them, implementing and delivering the best healthcare practices for our patients and the populations that we serve and represent. In this diagram that was published by Dr. Hector Myers in 2009, he depicted the lifespan biopsychosocial model

of cumulative vulnerability that explains the development of disease in minority groups in the U.S., and, very likely, everywhere. He depicted or included elements that pertain to social demographic factors, genetic or biological factors, cognitive, psychosocial, cultural, health behaviors, et cetera. The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities expanded on that model and has created this research framework