NURS-6053 Module 1: Discussion

NURS-6053 Module 1: Discussion

What is the Selected Healthcare Issue?

The national healthcare issue selected for analysis is access and equity in healthcare. Despite significant advancements in medical technology and treatments, access to healthcare services remains a critical challenge, particularly in the United States, the only high-income country that does not guarantee universal health coverage. For many individuals, access to healthcare is constrained by various factors, including socioeconomic status, employment conditions, and systemic inequities across the healthcare landscape (Mainous, 2024). The importance of healthcare access cannot be overstated, as it is a fundamental determinant of health outcomes and overall quality of life.

How Does This Issue Impact My Work Setting?

In my work setting, which focuses on delivering care, the issue of healthcare access and equity significantly impacts our operational efficiency and patient care approaches. Some of the patients we serve come from disadvantaged backgrounds, facing financial and logistical barriers to care, including those related to lack of insurance, transportation difficulties, and prior authorization processes that further delay necessary treatments (Chen, 2025). Moreover, utilization of these treatments, prescription abandonment, and worse health status among such population groups are reported (Chen, 2025). Slonim (2023) observes that patient experience differs due to the healthcare facilities available, thereby calling for organizations to consider addressing such differences.

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Which Social Determinant Affects This Health Issue Most?

When it comes to the issue of access and equity in healthcare, the socioeconomic status of the society can be deemed the most potent determinant factor. Low-income or fixed-income earners struggle with issues in their job security, their level of education, and inadequate shelter or housing; other issues arise and form a systematic way of isolating such people and denying them quality healthcare (Chen, 2025). Other dynamics include structural racism, where aspects like “redlining,” a deliberate act to deny people of color equal access to specific neighborhoods, which leads to minorities lacking equal access to resources today, have a direct impact on the quality of care received by racial and ethnic minorities (Mainous,  2024). Mainous (2024) states that these determinants tend to escalate health disparities, whereby socioeconomic status is a key element in gauging health access.

How Has My Health System Responded to the Issue?

Regarding healthcare availability and equality, my organization has taken specific measures to increase the quality of the services we provide to communities with limited access to such services—for example, growing community-popular programs like mobile clinics and telehealth to ensure that those with limited access to regular care centers are addressed (Chen, 2025). In addition, it gives educational sessions intended to enhance the utilization of various healthcare services because of patients’ enhanced health literacy skills (Dixon-Woods et al., 2012).

Furthermore, my organization will actively engage with other nonprofits to address several health determinants, including nutrition and housing. The vision of developing a better healthcare provision that includes medical and social services is about promoting a new way of health facility delivery, a successful approach to improving healthcare delivery (Broome & Marshall, 2021).

In conclusion, there is a significant need to review access and equitable use of health care in the current delivery system and its impact on the population’s health. With more knowledge of the effects of the social determinants of health, such as socioeconomic status, it will be possible to address the challenges effectively. By maintaining collaborative efforts and implementing solutions to address this issue, my organization aims to reduce the existing inequalities in patient access, underscoring our dedication to providing equal and quality healthcare services. As Slonim (2023) stated, further reflections and adjustments would be necessary to entrust these care qualities to be more responsible, accessible, and fair for everybody. NURS-6053 Module 1: Discussion

References

Chen, A. M. (2025). Barriers to health equity in the United States of America: Can they be overcome? International Journal for Equity in Health, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-025-02401-wLinks to an external site.

Mainous, A. G. (2024). The Vexing Problem of Access to Health Care in America: Is Employer-Based Health Insurance the Real Culprit? Family Medicine, 56(3), 145–147. https://doi.org/10.22454/fammed.2024.894966Links to an external site.

Slonim, A. (2023). Top Challenges Facing Healthcare: Back to Basics. Physician Leadership Journal, 10(2). https://openurl.ebsco.com/EPDB%3Agcd%3A16%3A19626432/detailv2?sid=ebsco%3Aplink%3Ascholar&id=ebsco%3Agcd%3A162444310&crl=c&link_origin=scholar.google.comLinks to an external site.

Dixon-Woods, M., McNicol, S., & Martin, G. (2012). Ten challenges in improving quality in healthcare: lessons from the Health Foundation’s programme evaluations and relevant literature. BMJ quality & safety, 21(10), 876–884. https://qualitysafety.bmj.com/content/21/10/876.shortLinks to an external site.

Broome, M. E. (2021). Transformational leadership in nursing: From expert clinician to influential leader. Springer Publishing Company. NURS-6053 Module 1: Discussion