- Write a paper that discusses how vulnerable
populations and the impact of social determinants (income,
education, occupation, etc.) and discrimination (implicit
bias, residential segregation, negative stereotypes, etc.) create and
sustain health inequity (barriers and challenges). - Find two peer-reviewed journal articles from 2018 to support
your claims. - Discuss your personal assumptions, values, beliefs, or
biases and
how they relate to the ideas, themes, or concepts you presented from the
evidence (the two peer-reviewed journal articles). - Your total essay should be approximately three paragraphs
and about 400 words (give or take 100 words) - Write the essay in the correct APA 7th Edition format-
including a title page, in-text citations, and a reference APA (
· For this
assignment, you must use a research database (i.e., CINAHL, PubMed, etc).
My notes:
I would like to
discuss prenatal care in the United States, especially as it pertains to
vulnerable populations, and the influence of social determinants.
Please find an article that emphasizes vulnerable groups, including Hispanics,
undocumented immigrants, and those facing language barriers. Additionally,
pregnant patients on Medicaid often experience different treatment in OB/GYN
offices, primarily due to prevailing stigmas.
In my
tenure as a medical assistant at an OB/GYN office, I frequently encountered
Hispanic immigrants deeply worried about their prenatal care bills. Many were
not fluent in English and had to cover these services out of pocket. It was
particularly heart-wrenching to see undocumented individuals bear such
financial burdens, especially when they often didn’t qualify for Medicare or
Medicaid. Several were job-seeking, without any form of financial assistance.
On numerous occasions, patients faced charges they didn’t understand, and I
stepped in as an interpreter to guide them to the appropriate personnel who
could address their queries. As a Spanish speaker, I not only aided in
interpretation but also directed them to resources that could help with their
billing concerns.
In
addition to these challenges, I noticed disparities in how pregnant patients on
Medicaid were treated compared to those with private insurance. At first, I was
not privy to the complexities of Medicaid, including the adjustments providers
often had to make due to its coverage limitations. Although Medicaid does
typically cover prenatal care, the specifics—like the number of visits, types
of screenings, or other services—can vary based on state regulations.