Impacts of Race on Health Policy System - myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about theImpacts of Race on Health Policy System for Cultural. Answer: Introduction Everyone is entitled to quality and good health care services from any medical facility. Your cultural background should not deter you from accessing medical facilities and getting the required treatment. Race can be defined as the grouping of individuals based on their cultural, genetic, physical, social or ancestral traits. Racism is the discrimination, harassment or biases of one race by another who views themselves as superior to the others. Racism in health care leads to differences in access to quality healthcare. The race has been one of the major problems in Canada that have led to poor health care and those affected have difficulties in accessing quality health care because of the diverse cultural backgrounds that they are coming from. It is the responsibility of the government to introduce health policies that are inclusive and considerate for every Canadian citizen. Good health policy system help in improving health care for every individual irrespective of your race and c ultural background in health policy system; race is a contributory factor to the success and effectiveness of the system (Tang, Browne, 2008). A health policy system that involves racism leads to poor quality services, inequality in access to health care, dissatisfied patients and increase in a number of patients. Racism has led to an increased number of patients resorting to other alternatives of health care like the tradition health care for the various illnesses. This has also lead to the rise of mortality in patients who are having chronic illnesses and are from the minority communities because of the discrimination and lack of adequate health care. The introduction of inclusive health care policies will help in reducing the mortality rate and improving health care among all Canadian citizens. Racism in Canada's health care policy system Racism in Canada has long existed with the majority of the minority group consisting blacks have resettled in Quebec. Racism in Canada has exceeded many other countries, the minority groups have not fully been recognized by the government (Hutchison, levesque, Strumpf, Coyle, 2011). However much the government today is trying to change the perception and reducing the level of discrimination of the minority groups within its territory. The minority groups in Canada have long suffered because of the poor and limited health facilities in the regions where the minority groups live. This, however, has led to the rise of mortality in the minority groups especially those with chronic illness and also maternal mortality. Several causes of health inequities caused by racism are having less access to social resources such as education, inadequate economic resources, poor housing, engaging in health behaviors that are risky, exposure to environment hazards, stress caused by racism in an enviro nment one lives in, social traumas such as sexual abuse and spousal abuse, programs such as screening being underutilized and having no trust in the healthcare systems (Prus, Tfaily, Lin, 2010). The government has the responsibility of playing a major role in reducing racism in Canada by making good policies that does not only favor the "white" people in getting efficient health care but instead come up with policies that ensures that access to primary healthcare is everyone's right irrespective of your race, tribe, color, and cultural background, it should be diversified (Papadopoulos, 2006). Healthcare organizations also have an equal responsibility of ensuring equality in the healthcare facilities. The healthcare organizations can introduce programs that are cultural diversity oriented with the aims of training health practitioners about cultural diversity and competence. This program should focus their attention on the marginalized groups and how they can get quality health care. The healthcare organizations should recruit persons from the minority groups in the health care system to create a free and conducive environment for the minority groups to feel comfortable and safe in the healthcare facilities. Most of the trained healthcare practitioners from minority groups often go back to their regions to offer health care services in the available health facilities and this is another way of promoting adequate health care for the minority groups. Ontario Human Right Commission (OHRC) has put in place policies that protect the minority groups from being oppressed and deni ed equal right to access medical facilities and other government public resources (Deber, Mah, 2014). Public and policymakers' responsibility The public and policymakers have the responsibility to take up actions in order to eliminate the issue of racism in the healthcare system. Such actions involve creating and increasing public awareness on the issue of racism and its effects on the quality and accessibility of healthcare (Giesbrecht, Crooks, 2016). The awareness can be increased through the support of policies and procedures that address racism, the establishment of community, groups and alliance programs that fight the issue of racism. Increase in the representation of the radicalized groups in the decision-making processes as well as in the organization's structure will help in eliminating the racism in Canada (Clavier, Leeuw, 2013). The public and policymakers should strife in implementing and enforcing policies and procedures that are free from racism. The recruitment and retaining of staff from the minority groups will help in building a culture of diversity in the health, implementation of programs that involve training the practitioners on anti-discriminatory and culturally diverse health care. The availability of interpreters in the facilities will also help eliminate racism in the healthcare system. Support the establishment of acts and policies that address the racism in health care system and also allocate sufficient funds in support of racism research, in conducting discussions with the stakeholders on eradicating the racism in the country (Westhues, Wharf, 2012). The policymakers should ensure the patients exercise their rights to access proper healthcare through the introduction of a complaint box to air their complaints as well as to pro-actively respond to racism. A consideration to form a committee that addresses on racial equality will also help in dealing with the racism problem in the Canadians health policy system . Summary The issue of racism, in Canada, cannot be ignored as it deeply affects the health care system. It is a major issue that should be addressed by all the stakeholders who include the government, the healthcare providers, and organizations, the consumers' and the general public. All the stakeholders should unite in implementing and enforcing policies and procedures that upholds equality and fights to eliminate racism in the health care systems. References Clavier, C., Leeuw, E. J. J. (2013).Health promotion and the policy process. Deber, R. B., Mah, C. L. (2014).Case studies in Canadian health policy and management. Giesbrecht, D., Crooks, A., (2016). Place, Health and Diversity: Learning from the Canadian experience. Routledge. Hutchison, B., levesque, J. F., Strumpf, E., Coyle, N. (2011). Primary health care in Canada:systems in motion.The Milbank Quarterly,89(2), 256-288. Papadopoulos, I. (2006).Transcultural health and social care: Development of culturally competent practitioners. Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone Prus, S. G., Tfaily, R., Lin, Z. (2010). Comparing racial and immigrant health status and health care access in later life in Canada and the United States.Canadian Journal on Aging/La Revue canadienne du vieillissement,29(3), 383-395. Tang, S. Y., Browne, A. J., (2008). Racematters: racialization and egalitarian discourses involving Aboriginal people in the Canadian health care context.Ethnicity and Health,13(2), 109-127. Westhues, A., Wharf, B. (2012).Canadian social policy: Issues and perspectives.