Final answer:
The National Quality Strategy focuses on patient engagement and health disparities among its six priorities, aiming to enhance health care quality and achieve equity. Patient engagement involves patients in their care, while health disparities concern the inequitable health status among different groups, influenced by socio-economic factors. Strategies include increasing awareness, targeted interventions, and collaborative efforts for sustainable health education.
Step-by-step explanation:
The National Quality Strategy (NQS) outlines priorities that aim to enhance the quality of health care in the United States, addressing critical issues such as patient safety, care coordination, and the promotion of effective communication and care practices. Two of the six NQS priorities mentioned—patient engagement and health disparities—are particularly relevant to discussions of health equity. Patient engagement emphasizes the importance of involving patients in their own care, which can lead to improved health outcomes. On the other hand, health disparities refer to differences in health status and health care between groups, often linked to social, economic, and environmental disadvantages. Strategies to improve equity in health care include increasing community awareness, targeting interventions at populations most affected by disparities, and supporting sustainable health education and disease prevention programs. To address these disparities, collaborative efforts between government agencies, healthcare providers, and community organizations are essential, and should focus on creating equitable health opportunities for those impacted.
Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a recognized approach that involves community engagement for identifying and addressing health disparities. Effective addressing of health disparities necessitates a comprehensive understanding of factors such as education, health behaviors, poverty, and environmental conditions. For meaningful progress, health initiatives must be culturally tailored and data-driven, reflecting the needs and experiences of communities of color, thereby helping to establish health equity.