24 Oct Provider Strategies for Advancing Health Equity Through Value-Based Care
Health and health care are central to each person’s ability to live well and should not be dependent on a person’s socioeconomic status or identity – whether racial, ethnic, linguistic, or based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Addressing disparities in health care access, quality, and outcomes is a moral imperative. It is also a smart business decision – preventing disease and avoiding emergencies saves money.
Health care providers are uniquely positioned to address health disparities in the care they deliver to patients and the way they engage in their communities. In this resource, the Task Force highlights case studies describing how providers are advancing health equity strategies in three domains:
- Clinical care: Providers can increase equity by delivering equitable person-centered care that is culturally and linguistically appropriate to all their patients while removing barriers to access.
- Performance measurement & incentives: Providers can measure disparities in access and outcomes within their patient populations and incentivize clinicians and administrators to close gaps for critical populations. To do so, providers must obtain data on patient demographics and health-related social needs.
- Community partnerships: Providers can partner with community-based organizations (CBOs) to address patients’ health-related social needs. Providers can offer financial support to CBOs to address these needs, building capacity and trust in the community.