This message from "Siobhan Blackwell" <[log in to unmask]>

Date: Thu, 22 Jan 2004 08:58:51 -0600

identifies an important issue:  How do we even identify  health disparities
/ inequalities/ inequities among populations?

dr
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The Office of Minority Health has posted a series of reports done by
the National Health Law Program examining the race, ethnicity and primary
language data collection and protection policies of each state and the
District of
Columbia.  Information on the reports is available at:

http://www.omhrc.gov/omh/sidebar/datastats13.htm

The report includes an assessment report of State laws, regulations
and practices affecting the collection and reporting of racial and ethnic
data by health insurers and managed care plans.  The report will be helpful
to those providers who are active partners in the quest for equal access
to quality and appropriate health care services for the Nation's diverse
populations.

The limited information available indicates that racial and ethnic
minorities suffer impeded access to health services and poor quality
of care, and are less likely to have health insurance compared to Whites.
In 2001, over one-third of non-elderly Latinos were uninsured (35
percent), followed by American Indians/Alaska Natives (27 percent), African
Americans (20 percent), Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (19 percent),
and
Whites (12 percent). During 2000, 27 percent of Latinos lacked a
health care visit in the last year, compared to 21 percent of American
Indians/Alaska Natives, 20 percent Asian Americans, 17 percent African
Americans and 15 percent Whites. American Indians/Alaska Natives,
African Americans, and Latinos are more likely to rate their health as fair
or
poor. Disparities like these have proved persistent.

Siobhan M. Champ-Blackwell, MSLIS
NN/LM-MCR Inner City Services and Minority Outreach
Creighton University
Health Sciences Library
2500 California Plaza
Omaha, NE  68178
[log in to unmask]
402-280-4156
 http://nnlm.gov/mcr/inner_city/

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