Health Disparities & Resources: Connecting the Community

to Care

Robert Gilchick, MD, MPH, FACPMDirector, Child and Adolescent Health Program and Policy

Los Angeles County Department of Public HealthOctober 20, 2011

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OverviewACPMHealth Disparities Bridging the gapPatient Assistance Programs

Pfizer Helpful AnswersAZ & Me

Questions and Answers

What are health disparities? Significant differences between one population and

another in "the overall rate of disease incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality or survival rates” - Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education Act of 2000

Health disparities are differences in health outcomes between groups that reflect social inequalities - CDC Health Disparities and Inequalities Report, United States, 2011

U.S. Deaths Attributable to Social FactorsIn 2000: 245,000 deaths in the United States were

attributable to low levels of education 176,000 to racial segregation 162,000 to low social support 133,000 to individual-level poverty 119,000 to income inequality 39,000 to area-level poverty.

Galea et al. Am J Public Health. 2011.

Colorado Poverty Rates

Data Source: Kaiser Family Foundation Colorado State Health Demographics (2008 Fact Sheet)

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Colorado Poverty Rate byRace/Origin (2008)

White (10.2%)

Black (22.2%)

AmericanIndian/AK Native(17.9%)Hispanic (23.4%)

Asian (8.1%)

Other race(24.3%)

Overall (11.4%)

Inequalities in Health Insurance Status (CO)

Data Source:US Census Current Population Survey (CPS) 2010 Data Source: Pew Hispanic Center: Demographic Profile of Hispanics in Colorado (2009)http://pewhispanic.org/states/?stateid=CO

0.0%

5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%

30.0%35.0%

Uninsured PopulationBy Race (Percent)

White (Non-hispanic)(12.7%)Black (15.5%)

Asian (21.5%)

Hispanic (32%)

Total (13%)

Impact of Inequalities in Prescription Access Lack of ability to fill prescriptions result in

Skipped medications Disease progression Worse health status Greater healthcare costs

Importance of tertiary prevention

Patient Assistance Programs for Prescription Medicines Offers free or low-cost medications Low income uninsured or under-insured Eligibility requirements differ with programs One valuable tool for decreasing health

disparities in low-income populations

Healthcare Disparities: Another Contributor to Health Disparities Healthcare Disparities defined – Differences

in the quality of healthcare that are not due to access-related factors or clinical needs, preferences, and appropriateness of interventions.

Source: Smedley et al. 2003. Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care

Bridging the Gap: Strategies for Reducing Disparities Research

Better understand the causes of health disparities and the most effective interventions.

Education Develop opportunities for health education and empowerment of

at-risk populations Community Outreach

Work within communities to build awareness and increase access to resources and opportunities.

Resource Sharing Maximize the benefits of programming, research and best

practices. Affiliations and Partnerships

Collaborate with those with shared goals, e.g. providers, educators and industry.

Pfizer Helpful Answers – Pfizer’s Family of Patient Assistance Programs

Pfizer Helpful Answers® is a joint program of Pfizer Inc and the Pfizer Patient Assistance Foundation™

Helping the Uninsured and Underinsured Get Access to the Medicines They Need

Patient Assistance Programs Update

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