“For the purposes of this report, health disparities are differences that exist among specific population groups in the United States in the attainment of full health potential that can be measured by differences in incidence, prevalence, mortality, burden of disease, and other adverse health conditions” (NIH).

While the term disparities is often used or interpreted to reflect differences between racial or ethnic groups, disparities can exist across many other dimensions as well, such as gender, sexual orientation, age, disability status, socioeconomic status, and geographic location.

A complex and interrelated set of individual, provider, health system, societal, and environmental factors Links to an external site.contribute to disparities in health and health care.

There is a wealth of information regarding healthcare disparities in the US and globally, (below is just a sampling).

In this discussion, as NP scope of practice continues to expand and practice barriers are removed, consider the role that nurse practitioners can have in changing the impact of healthcare disparities on health outcomes. If NP’s have a pivotal role in changing the landscape of primary care, what strategies could you employ in practice to influence equity in health care.

helpful links:

Healthy People 2030: Health Care DisparitiesLinks to an external site.

CDC: Health DisparitiesLinks to an external site.

Why Nurse Practitioners Are Pivotal in Health Equity Work Links to an external site. 

Racial Disparities in Health Care Links to an external site. 

Addressing Health Disparities in the LGBTQ CommunityLinks to an external site.

Health Inequalities in Old Age Links to an external site. 

Persons With Disabilities as an Unrecognized Health Disparity Population Links to an external site.