Author: American Academy of Pediatrics. Task Force on Minority Children's Access to Pediatric Care

Publisher:

Published: 1994

Total Pages: 104

ISBN-13:

This report examines five major components that affect minority children's access to health care. They are: health status, barriers to access, workforce, organizational response, and the role of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Recommendations are included for each of these components. Health status indicators for minority children include: premature death and disability caused by controllable illnesses and high infant mortality, differential rates of immunization, teenage pregnancy, and injuries associated with violence. Minority children also encounter barriers to health care access. Among these barriers are: economic factors, such as a lack of financial resources and inadequate insurance, and geographic factors that result in limited availability of providers and facilities. Other barriers are: poverty and lack of education, which often translate into delayed health care and poor compliance with treatment, cultural insensitivity, racism, and classism. Workforce factors that affect minority children's health care access include the relative absence of minority group pediatricians and the geographic maldistribution of practitioners. The AAP Task Force recognizes the organizational response of other groups that have addressed this issue. The Academy's role is to ensure that the perspectives of minority pediatricians and children are considered in AAP educational programs, policy, developmental advocacy and research. (Three appendices include the directive to the AAP Task Force on Minority Children's Access to Pediatric Care, a review of relevant programs, and copies of the Task Force surveys. Contains 120 references.) (VL)