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Office of Minority Health Resource Center
Racial and ethnic initiatives and resources of HHS

U.S. Census Bureau
Race Data

Sources of data on race and ethnic origin

 

Department of Health and Human Services Department of Health and Human Services

 

Minority Health

Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care
AHCPR Work Plan Outline for the Asian American and Pacific
   Islander Initiative
AHRQ Focus on Research: Disparities in Health Care
Cultural Competence Guides for Managed Care Plans
Cultural Competence Research: Setting the Agenda
Diabetes Disparities Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities
Excellence Centers To Eliminate Ethnic/Racial Disparities (EXCEED)
Grant Awards Relevant to Racial and Ethnic Minority Children:
   FY 2002
Health Care for Minority Women
Improving Health Care for Ethnic and Racial Minority Populations
Low Birthweight in Minority and High-Risk Women
National Healthcare Disparities Report: Preliminary Measures
New Projects and Activities in Minority Health: FY 2002
Preparing for a Career in Health Services Research: Opportunities
   for Minority Students
Primary Care Practice-Based Research Networks
   New Primary Care PBRN Awards
Reducing Ethnic and Racial Inequities in Health Care: AHRQ
   Resources for Research
The Role of Community-Based Participatory Research: Creating
   Partnerships, Improving Health

Agency Press Releases
4/5/04 Improving Depression Care has Long-lasting Benefits for African Americans and Hispanics
12/22/03 HHS Issues National Reports on Quality and Disparities in the Use of Health Care Services
12/1/03 Task Force Recommends that Clinicians Screen Adults for Obesity

Conferences and Meetings
Community-Based Participatory Research: Conference Summary

Evidence Reports
Evidence Report/Technology Assessment: Number 90
Strategies for Improving Minority Healthcare Quality (Clinical Focus)

Speeches and Testimony
Testimony on AHRQ's Role in Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health

User Liaison Program Workshop Summaries
Addressing Health Care Disparities
Collecting, Using, and Disseminating Health Data on Minority Populations
Improving Long-term Care for American Indians in Region VIII
Strategies to Reduce Health Disparities

Research Findings

Research Activities, May 2004:
Greater severity of peripheral arterial disease among blacks may account for their high rate of amputations
Researchers find New York SCHIP improves health care access, continuity, and quality

Research Activities, April 2004:
Improving depression care has long-lasting benefits for blacks and Hispanics
Racial disparities in use of coronary angiography are due in part to variation in physician referral patterns
Researchers examine racial and ethnic disparities in emergency care
Diagnosis and treatment of depression in the elderly increased in the 1990s, but racial and other disparities persist

Research Activities, March 2004:
EXCEED projects focus on prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease
Inconsistent use of medications by elderly Mexican Americans with diabetes may explain their greater risk of some complications
Only about half of stroke survivors living in nursing homes receive medicine to prevent another stroke

Research Activities, February 2004:
Attitude toward risk does not fully explain sociodemographic disparities in health care use
Study documents racial variations in the prescribing of opiods by ER doctors
Church attendance may serve as an additional health care safety net for impoverished black communities

Research Activities, January 2004:
Researchers find that black and Hispanic children are much more likely than other children to be overweight
Studies reveal disparities in cardiac care related to race, sex, and socioeconomic status
Disparities in cancer rates among U.S. men may be due in part to differences in occupational exposure to carcinogens
Racial differences exist in parents' opinions about the quality of primary care provided to their children
Studies focus on health care for Mexican Americans
Elderly, low-income black women need more education about the importance of breast cancer screening

Research Activities, December 2003
Black women with suspected breast cancer are more likely than white women to have delayed or incomplete followup
Home visits by a nurse-health advocate team can improve the outcomes of low-income, minority mothers and their infants
Community-based hypertension control programs hold promise for decreasing blood pressure among urban blacks
Racial disparities found in receipt of osteoporosis screening and management

Research Activities, November 2003:
Individuals who are uninsured for 6 months or more are less likely to use preventive care services
Nearly half of elderly Mexican Americans who suffer a heart attack die of another heart attack within 7 years
Racial differences exist in survival following cardiac arrest, specialty treatment for scleroderma, and access to care
Kawasaki syndrome is the leading cause of noncongenital heart disease among U.S. children

Research Activities, October 2003
Research shows that a doctor's advice to breastfeed, early return to work, and other factors influence continued breastfeeding
Personalized form letters may improve breast and cervical cancer screening among low-income and minority women
Better diagnosis, management, and monitoring of hypertension is needed for older American Indians and Alaskan Natives
Providing culturally sensitive care may lead to more effective health care delivery for racial/ethnic minorities
South Asian women living in the United States should be targeted to receive Pap smears for cervical cancer screening

Research Activities, September 2003:
AHRQ policy on the inclusion of priority populations in research commences October 1st
Simple meal plans that emphasize healthy foods are effective in reducing blood sugar level among blacks with diabetes
Quality improvement initiatives can improve health care for minorities
Factors that impede access to care and patient satisfaction are explored in three recent studies

Research Activities, August 2003
Studies examine black-white differences in low birthweight, uterine surgery outcomes, and organ donations

Research Activities, July 2003:
Among elderly stroke victims, blacks are less likely than whites to be alive 3 years after stroke
Among people with HIV/AIDS, whites are much more likely than blacks to use medication to treat psychological problems

Research Activities, June 2003:
Distrust of diagnosis and belief in alternative cures may partly explain blacks' lower rate of lung cancer surgery
Factors beyond insurance coverage affect racial/ethnic disparities in health care
Problems with doctor/patient communication may help to explain disparities in use of health care

Research Activities, May 2003:
Better access to quality outpatient care for sickle cell disease could reduce patients' heavy reliance on expensive ER care
Most individuals hospitalized for gunshot wounds are young and poor, and more than one-fourth have no insurance
Knowledge of non-Western health practices may help doctors avoid misdiagnoses and other problems in Asian-American patients

Research Activities, April 2003:
Researchers focus on diabetes prevalence and control among urban black adults and diabetes understanding by the undereducated
More people receive oral surgery from a general dentist than an oral surgeon, especially low-income and minority individuals

Research Activities, February 2003:
Managed care appears to reduce disparities in the use of preventive care for some racial/ethnic groups
Reducing racial and ethnic disparities in care continues to be an AHRQ research priority

Research Activities, January 2003:
Workplace factors, length of U.S. residence, and language barriers contribute to lack of insurance among Hispanics
Despite greater poverty, less education, and less access to care, Hispanics tend to have similar or better health than whites
Black race and low levels of education are associated with health disparities such as higher death rates

Research Activities, December 2002:
Cultural and language problems can lead to dire consequences during pediatric emergencies
Researchers examine age and race differences in treatment of breast cancer

Research Activities, November 2002:
State outreach efforts are needed to enroll more non-English-speaking families in Medicaid programs

Research Activities, October 2002:
Latino consortium identifies urgent research priorities to improve the health and care of Latino children
Increasing the cultural competence of health care organizations can make business sense

Research Activities, September 2002:
Certain patients are less likely than others to undergo needed angiography after heart attack
Poor health literacy may contribute to excess diabetes-related complications among disadvantaged groups
Researchers examine variations in asthma medication use

Research Activities, August 2002:
Improving medication use may be the key to reducing racial disparities in children's asthma problems

Research Activities, July 2002:
Even with insurance, elderly Hispanics undergo far fewer hip replacement operations than older non-Hispanic whites
People who have experienced discrimination in the past may be more reluctant to be put on kidney transplant lists
AHRQ initiatives focus on understanding and reducing racial/ethnic disparities in health and health care

Research Activities, June 2002:
Elevated lipoprotein(a) may be a risk factor for problems with vascular access among black hemodialysis patients
Pneumonia vaccination rates remain low, and racial disparities exit
Health plans can work toward eliminating racial and ethnic health disparities by developing better data

Research Activities, May 2002:
Communication/cultural barriers may affect receipt of cardiovascular procedures among Hispanics
Black and Hispanic HIV patients are less likely than white patients to get experimental medications
Race and sex may play a role in a person's ability to give up smoking
Elderly blacks and whites enrolled in Medicare managed care plans do not receive the same quality of care

Research Activities, April 2002:
Lipid-lowering medication should be considered early in treatment of blacks with diabetes and high LDL cholesterol levels
Blacks often are less satisfied with their health care, perhaps because they feel "socially distant" from their doctors
Medicaid-insured and minority children have poor access to dental care and more cavities than other youths

Research Activities, March 2002:
Racial differences in indoor allergen sensitivity are consistent with differences in asthma problems
Minority patients have increased access to elective surgeries in areas where there are more primary care physicians
Asian Americans are less satisfied with the quality of primary care they receive than any other racial/ethnic group
Hospital use and mortality rates for people with AIDS vary substantially by race/ethnicity and location

Research Activities, February 2002:
Ethnic disparities exist in asthma medication prescribing even for children seen in private practices
Researchers examine risk factors for premature separation of the placenta among U.S. black women

Research Activities, December 2001:
Primary care doctors should be alert to potential chronic kidney disease in diabetic, hypertensive, and minority patients
Missed diagnosis of mood and anxiety disorders is more likely among black than white schizophrenics

Research Activities, November 2001:
Studies show racial disparities in receipt of flu shots, cardiovascular surgery, and care preferences
Racial/ethnic disparities remain in HIV-related hospitalizations, despite improved treatments

Research Activities, October 2001:
Back pain studies examine racial differences in use of spine x-rays and effectiveness of sacroiliac joint function tests
Age and race are associated with receipt of Medicare-funded outpatient care among people with schizophrenia

Research Activities, September 2001:
Reducing Medicaid benefits or restricting eligibility would disproportionately affect nursing home stays of elderly blacks

Research Activities, August 2001:
Hispanics in their 50s are much less likely than same-age whites or blacks to take medication to control high blood pressure

Research Activities, May 2001:
Women and Asians are less likely than other patients with end-stage renal disease to be recommended for kidney transplants
Medicare waivers alone are insufficient to improve use of primary care by poor and elderly blacks
Reducing socioeconomic inequalities may be the key to smoking cessation among blacks
Knowledge of the Tuskegee syphilis study continues to limit participation of blacks in medical research

Research Activities, April 2001:
Health insurance enrollment is declining in industries with large minority workforces
Poor black women who lose a mother or sister during pregnancy are more likely to have preterm births

Research Activities, March 2001:
Racial matching of patients and physicians does not necessarily lead to better quality of care
Increasing the quality and quantity of prenatal care may not reduce low birthweight among low-income black women

Research Activities, February 2001:
Minority patients have access to poorer quality doctors for coronary bypass surgery than white patients
Hispanics undergo fewer inpatient procedures than non-Hispanic whites hospitalized for the same conditions
Blacks are no more likely than whites to indicate a preference for family care over institutional long-term care

Research Activities, January 2001:
Health plans need culturally and linguistically appropriate materials for non-English-speaking patients

Research Activities, December 2000:
Racial/ethnic disparities in health care access and use are not explained by health insurance and income
Researchers are developing and testing an instrument to examine quality of care for Chinese and Vietnamese Americans

Research Activities, November 2000:
Lack of English ability creates a substantial barrier to Hispanic children's access to health care
Cultural competency of health care providers could reduce disparities in care related to race/ethnicity
Gap in health insurance coverage for Hispanic men widened between 1987 and 1996

Research Activities, October 2000:
Depending on how it's measured, health plan performance may vary by enrollee ethnicity, education, and income
Study findings suggest segregation in nursing homes may exist in some areas

Research Activities, September 2000:
Negative attitudes about mammography lead some low-income black women to skip their appointments to have the procedure

Research Activities, August 2000:
Access to medical care is worse for Asians and Pacific Islanders than for whites and other ethnic groups

Research Activities, June 2000:
MostMexican Americans prefer conventional medical care for their diabetes rather than alternative and traditional treatments
Quality of care measures need to account for socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in health care
Length of survival of patients hospitalized for HIV infection vary according to the patient's race

Research Activities, May 2000:
Blacks hospitalized for ministrokes are less likely than whites to receive diagnostic tests, see a specialist, or have surgery
Race, not sex, limits access to life-saving therapies for heart attack patients
Language difficulties are as much of a barrier to health care for some Latinos as being uninsured

Research Activities, February 2000:
White women are more likely than minority women to be prescribed hormone replacement therapy
Programs to help the poor purchase nongroup health insurance may not have the intended effect
Work and other daily activities cause one-third of people with HIV infection to delay or forgo needed medical care


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