Discuss barriers to healthcare access for clients from various culture.

Barriers to Healthcare Access for Clients from Various Cultures
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Abstract
Notwithstanding the advances achieved in the medical field over the past decades, there are persistent threats in the public health sector in the United States (US). The US citizens face multiple health challenges, including but not limited to increasing costs, a shortage in the healthcare workforce and unrelenting disparities, particularly among ethnic and racial minorities. Presently, it is appreciated that factors that promote health lie outside of a healthcare setting, and are termed as social determinants of health (SDH). SDH includes factor such as decent housing, and access to healthy foods and a quality education. Nonetheless, racial and ethnic minorities continue to experience adverse SDH and disproportionate representation among the uninsured. This paper proposes a rationale for overcoming health disparities resulting from diversity. The paper describes briefly three approaches to addressing this issue. These three are: (1) improving cultural competence within the workforce; (2) promote diversification, and; (3) employ the use of community-based health models.
Keywords: health disparities, cultural competence, diversification, community-based
Cultural Diversity: A Barrier to Healthcare Access?
The discussions in this paper aim at identifying evidence-based practices that address ethnic and racial disparities in healthcare to improve health outcomes.

Jackson and Gracia (2014) acknowledge the severity of disparities in the US public health sector, particularly those based on cultural diversity. The authors argue that the best approach to address these disparities is to improve cultural competence in the healthcare workforce. Jackson and Gracia (2014) note that promoting training of cultural competence will allow healthcare workers (HCWs) to appreciate and respect diversity. Another strategy of overcoming such disparities is to back measures that intensify diversification within the healthcare workforce. Chin, Walters, Cook, and Huang (2007) note that diversifying the workforce will lead to culturally personalized quality improvement. Ideally, having HCWs cater for patients from their own culture introduces an aspect of personalized care, with regards to that culture’s beliefs and traditions. For instance, patients from cultures with strict views on diseases or how males and females should interact will be more comfortable speaking to someone from the same society, ultimately improving health outcomes. Developing community-based health programmes has also been proposed as an effective way to overcome disparities arising from diversity. Lettlow (2008) opines that employing these models increases participation from individuals in that community. Additionally, such models help develop culturally tailored messages that promote healthy living.
Conclusion
The unrelenting threats facing the American public health necessitate coordinated approaches to ensure improved health outcomes for all citizens. As discussed in the paper, albeit in brief, strategies to address health disparities will involve improving competence and diversity in the workforce and employing community-based models. It is imperative that these coordinated efforts focus on developing community infrastructure and a knowledgeable workforce to ensure parity in health and healthcare.

References
BIBLIOGRAPHY Chin, M. H., Walters, A. E., Cook, S. C., & Huang, E. S. (2007). Interventions to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care. Medical Care Research and Review, 64(5 Suppl), 7S-28S.
Jackson, C. S., & Gracia, J. N. (2014). Addressing Health and Health-Care Disparities: The Role of a Diverse Workforce and the Social Determinants of Health. Public Health Records, 129(Suppl 2), 57-61.
Lettlow, H. A. (2008). Engaging Culturally Competent, Community-Based Programs in Reducing Tobacco-Related Health Disparities. American Journal of Public Health, 98(11), 1936-1939.