Health Care Delivery Systems—Overview Sample Clauses

Health Care Delivery Systems—Overview. In recent decades the United States has seen an evolution in health care delivery systems that resulted from factors such as changes in societal norms and technological advancements [1]. Systems are becoming more integrated, meaning private and public community resources are working together, to create a network of support for community members known as a system of care; and these systems are highly efficient and effective at delivering health care and meeting the needs of community members [2, 3]. However, despite these systems’ great progress, research shows that gaps remain in health care services among certain populations of adults and children [4, 5]. These gaps are more prevalent among persons who are in lower-social classes and are more likely to experience high levels of health disparities [6]. These health disparities often arise from the lack of access to health resources and health education among these populations [6]. Moreover, evidence shows that these health disparities likely develop from racial disparities that are embedded in the United States culture [1, 6-9]. One example of this is seen by the gap in life expectancy between African-American and white citizens with African-Americans consistently experiencing shorter life expectancies than whites [7-10]. Many factors can explain why these disparities exist, but gaps in education between races, particularly among white persons versus African-American persons, tend to play a large role in why such drastic health disparities still exist in the United States [7]. For these reasons, there is a need to explore how to successfully deliver health care resources and health education to the underserved, lower-income populations [7].