Vulnerable or marginalized populations are defined as groups of people that are exposed to discrimination and exclusion. Those groups are typically made of minorities, kids, and the elderly. Among these populations there are healthcare disparities that other populations do not receive. These disparities are made up of three factors, individual, social, and environmental. Individual factors that affect the health of vulnerable and marginalized populations include a person’s characteristics and behaviors. This consists of a person’s diet, if they smoke or use substances, any risky sexual behaviors, sleep, and physical activity. The second factor is known as social factors. The social factors that effect a vulnerable or marginalized population are, the income of a person or a family, education, food security and housing. The third factor that affects vulnerable populations are environmental factors. The environmental factors are made of things like air pollution, climate change or access to health-related sources. When combined all of these disparities however are not a new thing. They have been dated back to the industrial revolution. The places that these vulnerable populations had been the target for building factories and other businesses. The quick rise of factories sprouted a whole long list of problems from infectious diseases being spread to unsanitary living conditions in general. The places the vulnerable populations did not live had things like new schools and nice grocery stores built. This early establishment of clear inequality has not been yet to leave our society today.
Trying to solve any disparities is a challenge that involves working with many different disciplinaries. It requires a team that is not just made up of health care workers. The team needs to look at what makes up the disparities in their community and try to brainstorm ideas to solve the issues that they identified. The team can reach out to local community centers to give classes to the public about the best ways possible to reduce of the disparities. Along with classes healthcare providers can provide things like free clinics in neighborhoods or towns that are not able to receive proper healthcare.
Knowing what we have learned about the present health care disparities among vulnerable populations, I will focus my practice of care to be the best possible for the patient no matter the patients’ circumstances. I will avoid using potential bias towards any and all clients that may cause to further healthcare disparities
