Important Facts for Treated with less respect when accessing healthcare

Definition

Percentage of Utah adults (18+) reporting being treated with less respect or receiving lower quality services in Utah healthcare in the past 2 years

Numerator

Number of adults reporting being treated with less respect or receiving lower quality services in Utah healthcare, number of responses for each reason of being treated with less respect or receiving lower quality services, and number of people delaying any type of healthcare as a result of fear of being treated with less respect or receiving lower quality services

Denominator

Number of adults who took the survey, number of adults who reported being treated with less respect or receiving lower quality services in Utah healthcare, number of adults who took the survey.

Why Is This Important?

Many people in the United States don't get the healthcare services they need. This can be for a number of reasons, including lack of health insurance, no primary care provider, or distance from healthcare providers. Other reasons can include being treated with less respect or receiving lower quality services while accessing healthcare in the past because of personal characteristics or because of belonging to a specific group. This can lead to poor health outcomes. This data can inform interventions to ensure everyone is treated with respect while accessing healthcare in Utah and receiving the highest quality of services.

What Is Being Done?

In 2021, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Healthy Environments Active Living (HEAL) program contracted with 4 community-based organizations (CBOs) to develop and administer a survey to identify the effects of being treated with less respect or receiving lower quality services in healthcare access among Black/African American and American Indian/Alaska Native populations in Utah. Organizations included Best of Africa, International Rescue Committee, Salt Lake City, Utah Muslim Civic League, and Utah State University, Blanding. The survey asked about demographics, social drivers of health, healthcare access, respect and treatment in healthcare, and chronic diseases. [https://heal.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Healthcare-Access-Survey-Report-FINAL_032023.pdf You can access the full report here.]

Health Program Information

The Utah DHHS Office of Health Equity has a mission to advance health equity and reduce health disparities in Utah and a vision for all people to have a fair opportunity at reaching their highest health potential given that health is crucial for well-being, longevity, and economic and social mobility. This is achieved through our guiding principle that health equity is the principle underlying our commitment to reduce and, ultimately, eliminate health disparities by addressing its drivers. Pursuing health equity means striving for the highest possible standard of health for all people and giving special attention to the needs of those communities at greatest risk for health disparities.