Leveraging Healthcare Disparity: Empowering Latinos for Improved Health

Now more than ever, there is a push to provide the Latino community equal access to adequate healthcare services. However, despite approved governmental policies improving the availability of proper healthcare, there is still a wide gap to bridge in making adequate medical services readily available to the Latino community.

Top Reasons Latinos Miss Out on Adequate Healthcare

It's fair to say that a visit to the doctor's office is low on the list of most people's favorite things to do. This is especially true within the Latino population. A nationwide study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers revealed that 43% of Latinos delayed healthcare or avoided it altogether compared to 35% of non-Latinos residing in the US.

The reasons for this reluctance to seek medical treatment are multifold. One reason falls under the challenges in attaining health insurance. While Obamacare made insurance for Latinos more accessible, there was and still is resistance in subscribing to these government assistance programs for adequate healthcare in the Latin community.

Latinos and Hispanics have the highest uninsured rates of any ethnic group in the US. The seemingly obvious underlying factors behind this statistic deals with language barriers or lack of education, creating confusion about insurance policies. Other conflicts include anxieties about immigration status and general misgivings about the US government.

But even when these factors are eliminated, there is still reluctance for the Latino demographic to seek healthcare proactively. For example, a study conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center indicated that half of the Latino population resisted medical care even though they were American-born, had a high school education (or higher), and had insurance. So what is holding these and other minorities back from obtaining sufficient healthcare service?

The prevailing consensus indicates an overwhelming lack of trust in the medical healthcare system. To explain, the Latino culture is accustomed to a more attentive and sensitive approach to healing in their native communities. In contrast, the US medical system comes off as austere, cold, and impersonal. Latinos report they feel more like a number than an actual human who has feelings, fears, and valid concerns.

This automaton approach to healthcare is distasteful to many members of the Latin community. As a result, many seek traditional remedies from their elders or natural medicinal "cures" from the communal grandmother who serves as a kind herbalist or medicine woman within the culture. There is trust and value in this health-seeking method because these traditional practices have passed through the culture for centuries. These old ways of attaining healing or improving health are also far more intimate and personable, therefore greatly more acceptable to the Latin way of life in terms of seeking medical treatment.

Improved Healthcare Options Available for Latinos

Thankfully, there are alternatives Latinos can take advantage of that empower them to attain better healthcare. While some of these proactive measures are not as traditional, they offer more freedom, flexibility and present more affordable options for Latinos seeking quality medical care.

One example of flexibility and affordability in healthcare is found in convenient at-home medical test kits. These are diagnostic tools that are conducted in the privacy of one's own home. The instructions are simple to understand, and Spanish versions of the directions are typically included. Sample collection can be as simple as a swab collection of tissue cells from the mouth, a urine sample, or a small finger-prick for a blood sample. After sending in the sample to a testing facility, results are mailed back, enabling the test-taker to make their own decisions about how to proceed with their medical treatment. These tests are affordable because they are significantly less expensive than going to a doctor's visit (especially if one is uninsured). Furthermore, there are myriads of different tests to help discern almost any malady. Tests range from heart health checks, an at-home Covid test, cholesterol readouts, diabetes test results, STD diagnosis, and more.

Another option for wary Latinos is to seek medical advice via telehealth clinics on the internet. These are virtual doctor's visits that one can schedule online. Insurance is preferred but not required for online doctor sessions. Doctors working in telehealth clinics are professionals with medical credentials. These sessions allow the patient to openly talk to a qualified physician or medical specialist within the comfort of their own homes. These discussions are typically less rigid and more personable than the formal in-person doctor visits most Latinos find unfavorable. Utilizing telehealth clinics online is a highly effective alternative to traditional office visits and is growing in popularity in the Latino community.

Empowering Latinos to Seek Professional Medical Assistance

Although the many reasons minorities miss out on adequate medical treatment are understandable, most of these hindrances can be avoided. Modern medical advancements make treatment more accommodating for Latinos now more than ever. Options such as at-home testing and online diagnostics can empower Latinos to improve and maintain their wellbeing. These advancements are encouraging to the minorities faced with challenges when seeking medical treatment. Ultimately, alternatives to healthcare should facilitate optimal health for essential, vibrant members of the Latin community who deserve proper medical attention.