Collaborative Care for Health Equity: Integrated Care for Underserved Populations

Abstract

Collaborative care for health equity aims to integrate primary and hospital care to serve clients. Drawing insights from various practices and research behind the continued struggle of underserved communities, and the root causes of health inequities and institutional failures, the chapter unveils how collaborative care integrates primary and hospital care to serve people better. The approaches highlighted show that meaningful improvements in health outcomes, require addressing both medical and social determinants of health particularly for underserved communities. Some of the causative conditions of inequity, such as, unaddressed social determinants of health, exacerbated by issues of low income, race/ethnicity and other environmental factors increase the disproportionate experiences of patients. It provides a way forward to achieve health equity by emphasizing, income, race, education and professional ethics as part of the decision-making processes needed for equitable healthcare. Addressing inequities in healthcare access among individuals at a higher risk for mortality and morbidity from all forms of systemic issues will reduce illnesses and improve access to healthcare especially issues bedeviling the health systems globally. Overall, understanding these issues will help to develop practical steps to improve healthcare access and discourage the focus on episodic reaction to health care.