September 2018
Health Equity: Celebrating Diversity, Finding Common Ground
An introductory message from Stephanie Vomvouras, M.D. MBA, Vice President – Health Care Delivery and Chief Medical Officer: According to the World Health Organization, 'Health inequities are systematic differences in the health status of different population groups' which 'have significant social and economic costs both to individuals and societies.'1 But this is not only a problem for developing countries. Within our own communities in Illinois, wide health disparities exist.2 Whether access to care or disparities in preventive care screening, awareness is the first step towards developing actionable solutions. Please join us in our efforts to reduce health disparities, to ensure that our members, your patients, achieve maximum health. |
More on Health Equity
In a welcome message to attendees at the second annual Health Care Service Corporation Health Equity Summit, hosted by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) this June, Derek J. Robinson, M.D., MBA, FACEP, CHCQM, Vice President, Enterprise Quality and Accreditation provided a concise definition of health equity, which “simply means everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible.” The Summit brought together industry and community thought leaders to explore opportunities for addressing health care disparities that present barriers to achieving health equity, such as differences in the quality of care, access to care, or insurance coverage for distinct segments of the population.
A panel of national experts on health equity spoke about implicit or unconscious bias, the future of medical education and the role of innovation, education and community involvement in improving health equity. Panelists cited research and presented their personal experiences and perspectives on the influence of social and environmental determinants on health outcomes. They emphasized the need to start small because the problem of inequity is multifaceted and far-reaching, involving complex overlapping social structures, such as socioeconomic status (income level, education/literacy, occupation), ZIP code and housing conditions, public safety, and availability of/access to transportation, healthy food and clean water, among other factors.
Starting small can mean increasing community involvement, awareness and openness. Patient-centric factors such as language proficiency, cultural beliefs and/or socioeconomic factors may impact patient understanding, access and adherence to care plans. For example, if they can’t communicate or feel they are not being heard, individuals with limited English proficiency may be less likely to seek care and adapt accordingly. It’s important to recognize that there are factors that exist for each patient outside their doctor’s office that may contribute to health care disparities, such as access to transportation, healthy food or a pharmacy.
Affordability CuresSM
Despite rapid advances in health care, many Americans are still struggling to pay for health insurance. At BCBSIL, we know it’s time to put research into action and we are committed to increasing awareness of health disparities, forming partnerships and finding innovative solutions to help remove barriers and improve access to affordable, quality health care for all of our members. In June 2018, as part of our Affordability Cures initiative, BCBSIL announced plans to launch customized programs to help our members improve their health, manage costs and become active participants in their own health and wellness. This whole-person approach to care management and wellness includes proactive clinical and multi-disciplinary team outreach, as well as digital engagement models to provide dedicated guidance and support.
Building on the momentum from the second annual Health Equity Summit, one of the priority areas of the Affordability Cures initiative is to help increase capacity and better connect members to resources related to housing, transportation and food. BCBSIL is partnering with local community organizations and others to scale long-term solutions. Additional priorities include bringing together enhanced behavioral and physical health coordination and outreach solutions that may help address critical conditions such as addiction and substance abuse. These solutions will include improved connections to onsite wellness services and behavioral health resources such as virtual visits, improving analytics and reporting and providing new consumer navigation tools. The Affordability Cures initiative also involves accelerating adoption of ways to improve exchange of health information across a broad array of health care providers and community resources to create a more complete picture of an individual’s health.
These efforts will help build on existing community initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life in neighborhoods where our members live, work and play. Our Center for Collaborative Studies, which conducts research with leading academic institutions, medical societies, providers and community-based organizations, will evaluate and measure the long-term impact of the investments to improve affordability. Additional information and future updates on Affordability Cures are available at affordabilitycures.com. We also invite you to view our 2017 Social Responsibility Report for more information on existing programs, partnerships with community organizations and health policy advocacy efforts.
Health care is a caring profession by nature, but we’re all human and we all have blind spots, or implicit or unconscious biases. It’s time to assume there are disparities and look for them, while continuing to honor diversity and the unique attributes that identify individuals as part of certain patient populations. At the same time, however, it seems critical to celebrate potential similarities across populations. What separates us? What brings us together? How can we find the common ground? Tony Vancauwelaert, M.D., FAAFP and medical director for BCBSIL elaborates further: “Medicine is an art and a science. The ‘science’ enables providers to know the most current evidence-based medicine. The ‘art’ is how to apply the science to each individual with a holistic approach, addressing and incorporating any health care disparities into the treatment plan.” |
Thank you for your dedication to providing individualized care to support the health and wellness of our members, which in turn affects the health and wellness of families, communities, patient populations and generations to come.
1 World Health Organization, 10 facts on health inequities and their causes. Updated April 2017. http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/health_inequities/en/
2 Illinois Department of Public Health, Disparities Report, 2009 - 2014 Figures. Released April 2017. http://www.dph.illinois.gov/sites/default/files/publications/publicationscmhhealth-disparities-report.pdf
The above material is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician or other health care provider. Physicians and other health care providers are encouraged to use their own medical judgment based upon all available information and the condition of the patient in determining the appropriate course of treatment. The fact that a service or treatment is described in this material is not a guarantee that the service or treatment is a covered benefit and members should refer to their certificate of coverage for more details, including benefits, limitations and exclusions. Regardless of benefits, the final decision about any service or treatment is between the member and their health care provider.