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Healthcare and Cultural Disparities

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Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance
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Synonyms

Cultural determinants of health; Healthcare disparities; Health equity

Bias, in the context of prejudice for or against individuals or groups, is inherent in human choice and action. Systemic bias based on race, ethnicity, and culture creates inequality among peoples. This inequality can lead to disparities within a community in the availability and quality of education, public safety, healthcare, and services in other sectors. Cultural disparities in healthcare affect not only health but also quality of life; however, they can be resolved.

The purpose of healthcare is to maintain or improve health through diagnosing, treating, and preventing disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Cultural disparities in healthcare can create a pattern of inequality in maintaining or restoring the health of a sector of the population. In healthcare, cultural disparities result from overlapping deficiencies in cultural competency, social equality, the...

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Correspondence to Joseph Sarcone .

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© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

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Sarcone, J. (2016). Healthcare and Cultural Disparities. In: Farazmand, A. (eds) Global Encyclopedia of Public Administration, Public Policy, and Governance. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3028-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31816-5_3028-1

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