HEAL

Health care equity has become an important discussion nationally as policymakers aim to improve quality of care while lowering costs through a variety of changes to existing incentives. Recognizing that there are areas for improvement is a first step, but it must be followed by actionable strategies to make sustainable improvements.

Racial and socioeconomic inequity persists in health care quality. An exploratory interview with three hospital leaders substantiated by a review of the literature reveals that hospitals are collecting race, ethnicity and primary language data about their patients. Leading hospitals are now moving beyond data collection to analyzing and using the data to develop targeted interventions for improving access to care for underserved populations.