MGH Guides: Culturally Competent and Effective Healthcare: Health Inequities and Disparities

Transcript-Racism Makes Us Sick
Transcript document for the Racism Makes Us Sick video.

Health Inequities and Disparities

To be a culturally effective and competent healthcare provider requires understanding health inequities in our communities and how they impact the health needs of people of all cultures. Use these selected books, e-books, journals, films and websites to learn more about such inequities. Additionally, some of these resources specifically address the relationship between cultural (in)competence and health inequities.

Understanding Health Inequities and Social Determinants of Health

Data

Office of Minority Health Policy & Data
he Office of Minority Health provides the most current quantitative information related to minority health. This includes sourcing and maintaining a body of expert knowledge on minority health status initiatives, and demographic statistics and analyses on minority populations, compiled by the National Center for Health Statistics, the Census Bureau, private foundations, clinical practitioners, private data sources and public agencies.

2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Publication Date: 2022
ebook; click on title for access
Health, United States, 2019 by National Center for Health Statistics (US)
Publication Date: 2021
ebook; click on title for access

Books in the Bellack Collection

The Health Gap by Michael Marmot
Call Number: DIV CULHU HEALTHGAP
Publication Date: 2015
Just Medicine by Dayna Bowen Matthew
Call Number: DIV CULHU JUST
Publication Date: 2015
The Death Gap by David A. Ansell
Call Number: DIV CULHU DEATHGAP
Publication Date: 2017
Health Equity by K. Bryant Smalley (Editor); Jacob Warren (Editor); M. Isabel Fernandez (Editor)
Publication Date: 2020
Pediatric Collections: Social Determinants of Health: Part 1: Underserved Communities by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (Editor)
Publication Date: 2022
ebook; click on title for access
Pediatric Collections: LGBTQ+: Support and Care Part 2: Health Concerns and Disparities by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (Editor)
Publication Date: 2021
ebook; click on title for access
Social Determinants, Health Disparities and Linkages to Health and Health Care by Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld (Editor, Contribution by)
Publication Date: 2013
ebook; click on title for access
Health Disparities in Quality Indicators of Healthcare Among Adults with Mental Illness by Department of Veterans Affairs (US)
Publication Date: 2014
ebook; click on title for access

Improving the Health Care of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) People: Understanding and Eliminating Health Disparities
Fenway Institute, 2016
ebook; click on title for access

Health Inequities Interventions

Books in the Bellack Collection

Caring for and Understanding Latinx Patients in Health Care Settings by Laura Maria Pigozzi; Teddie M. Potter (Foreword by)
Publication Date: 2020
ebook; click on title for access
Physical Activity in Diverse Populations by Melissa Bopp (Editor)
Call Number: DIV CULHU PHYS
Publication Date: 2017
Healing and Mental Health for Native Americans by Ethan Nebelkopf (Editor); Mary Phillips (Editor)
Call Number: DIV MUL HEAL
ISBN: 9780759106062
Publication Date: 2004
Communities in Action: Pathways to Health Equity by National Academies Press (US)
Publication Date: 2017
ebook; click the title for access
Improving Cultural Competence to Reduce Health Disparities by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US)
Publication Date: 2016
e-Book. Click title to access.
Closing the Quality Gap: Revisiting the State of the Science (Vol. 3: Quality Improvement Interventions To Address Health Disparities) by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US)
Publication Date: 2012
e-Book. Click title to access.
Focusing on Children’s Health: Community Approaches to Addressing Health Disparities by Institute of Medicine (US) and National Research Council (US) Roundtable on Health Disparities
Publication Date: 2009
e-Book. Click title to access.
How Far Have We Come in Reducing Health Disparities? Progress Since 2000 by Institute of Medicine (US)
Publication Date: 2012
e-Book. Click title to access.
Toward Health Equity and Patient-Centeredness: Integrating Health Literacy, Disparities Reduction, and Quality Improvement by Institute of Medicine (US) Forum on the Science of Health Care Quality Improvement and Implementation; Institute of Medicine (US) Roundtable on Health Disparities; Institute of Medicine (US) Roundtable on Health Literacy
Publication Date: 2009
e-Book. Click title to access.

Local, National & Global Health Data

Looking for health disparities data in relation to a city, state or larger region? There are a variety of credible data sources on the open web, as well as tools for mapping such data. Take a look at these resources and tools and Ask a Librarian if you have additional questions.

If you need more local level data, try searching Google or another search engine for the website of a city or state's public health department.

HealthData.gov
A federal database of health data sets.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
If you choose a condition on the CDC website, you will find Data and Statistics about that condition.
Boston Public Health Commission: Health Data
You can read the data available in the Health of Boston reports, as well as request data that does not appear in the reports.
World Health Organization:Global Health Observatory
WHO's portal providing access to data and analyses for monitoring the global health situation. Provides critical data and analyses for over 30 health themes ranging from health systems to disease-specific themes, as well as direct access to the full database.
WHO Global Health Estimates
The GHE provide a comprehensive and comparable assessment of mortality and loss of health due to diseases, injuries and risk factors. Global, regional and country estimates for all-cause mortality, and deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) by age, sex and cause, are available for download.
WHO Mortality Database
Database of annual death registration data on causes of death by age and sex as reported from civil registration systems of more than 100 Member States.
World Bank Open Data: Health
Data here cover health systems, disease prevention, reproductive health, nutrition, and population dynamics. Data are from the United Nations Population Division, World Health Organization, United Nations Children's Fund, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS, and various other sources.
County Health Rankings
The annual County Health Rankings measure vital health factors, including high school graduation rates, obesity, smoking, unemployment, access to healthy foods, the quality of air and water, income, and teen births in nearly every county in America.

Mapping Public Health Data

DATA USA
Search, map, compare and download US data, including health data and other demographic data.
Chronic Disease GIS Exchange (CDC)
Explore a wealth of spatial, environmental and public health GIS resources.
PolicyMap
Has some freely accessible health data.
HealthMap
Brings together disparate data sources, including online news aggregators, eyewitness reports, expert-curated discussions and validated official reports, to achieve a unified and comprehensive view of the current global state of infectious diseases and their effect on human and animal health.
NCHHSTP Atlas (CDC)
Access data reported to CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP). Use HIV, STD, hepatitis, and TB data to create maps, charts, and detailed reports, and analyze trends and patterns.
Community Commons
Providse public access to thousands of meaningful data layers that allow mapping and reporting capabilities so you can thoroughly explore community health.