Skip to main content
Top
Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2011

Open Access 01-12-2011 | Editorial

The hidden inequity in health care

Author: Barbara Starfield

Published in: International Journal for Equity in Health | Issue 1/2011

Login to get access

Excerpt

Inequity is the presence of systematic and potentially remediable differences among population groups defined socially, economically, or geographically [1, 2]. It is not the same as inequality, which is a much broader term, generally used in the human rights field to describe differences among individuals, some of which are not remediable (at least with current knowledge). Some languages do not make a distinction between the two terms, which may lead to confusion and a need to clarify exact meaning in different contexts. Some people use the term "unfairness" to define inequity, but unfairness is not measurable and therefore not a useful term for policy or evaluation. …
Literature
2.
go back to reference Venkatapuram S, Bell R, Marmot M: The right to sutures: social epidemiology, human rights, and social justice. Health Hum Rights. 2010, 12: 3-16.PubMedCentralPubMed Venkatapuram S, Bell R, Marmot M: The right to sutures: social epidemiology, human rights, and social justice. Health Hum Rights. 2010, 12: 3-16.PubMedCentralPubMed
3.
go back to reference Kaplan RM: Disease, Diagnoses, and Dollars. 2009, New York, NY: Copernicus BooksCrossRef Kaplan RM: Disease, Diagnoses, and Dollars. 2009, New York, NY: Copernicus BooksCrossRef
4.
5.
go back to reference Starfield B: Promoting equity in health through research and understanding. Developing World Bioeth. 2004, 4: 76-95. 10.1111/j.1471-8731.2004.00068.x.CrossRef Starfield B: Promoting equity in health through research and understanding. Developing World Bioeth. 2004, 4: 76-95. 10.1111/j.1471-8731.2004.00068.x.CrossRef
6.
go back to reference Starfield B, Shi L, Macinko J: Contribution of primary care to health systems and health. Milbank Q. 2005, 83: 457-502. 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2005.00409.x.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed Starfield B, Shi L, Macinko J: Contribution of primary care to health systems and health. Milbank Q. 2005, 83: 457-502. 10.1111/j.1468-0009.2005.00409.x.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMed
7.
go back to reference Broemeling A, Watson D, Black C: Chronic Conditions and Co-morbidity among Residents of British Columbia. 2005, Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia Broemeling A, Watson D, Black C: Chronic Conditions and Co-morbidity among Residents of British Columbia. 2005, Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia
8.
go back to reference Starfield B, Chang H, Lemke KW, Weiner JP: Ambulatory specialist use by non-hospitalized patients in US health plans: correlates and consequences. J Ambul Care Manage. 2009, 32: 216-25.CrossRefPubMed Starfield B, Chang H, Lemke KW, Weiner JP: Ambulatory specialist use by non-hospitalized patients in US health plans: correlates and consequences. J Ambul Care Manage. 2009, 32: 216-25.CrossRefPubMed
9.
Metadata
Title
The hidden inequity in health care
Author
Barbara Starfield
Publication date
01-12-2011
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
International Journal for Equity in Health / Issue 1/2011
Electronic ISSN: 1475-9276
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1475-9276-10-15

Other articles of this Issue 1/2011

International Journal for Equity in Health 1/2011 Go to the issue