Project Description:
Health disparities between people of traditionally underserved racial and ethnic groups and White non-Hispanics have been well-documented. More recently, disparities between people with and without disabilities have been identified. However, little work has been done as yet to examine the intersection of race, ethnicity, and disability with regard to impacts on health disparities. Addressing Health Disparities at the Intersection of Race, Ethnicity, and Disability (Project Intersect) will address this gap by studying how disability, in combination with race and ethnicity, is related to health care access and quality and the availability of health promotion programs.
The three-year project will have four major components:
(1) A review and synthesis of existing efforts to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health care and wellness promotion, with a focus on examining whether these efforts explicitly include people with disabilities.
(2) Secondary data analysis using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) and the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) to determine how disability type, severity, duration, and permanence interact with race and ethnicity to affect access to and quality of care.
(3) Identification of specific barriers to health care through: a) a systematic review of existing literature; and b) focus groups with adults with disabilities from underserved racial and ethnic groups.
(4) Translation of research findings into recommendations to improve access to and quality of health care and health promotion programs for adults with disabilities from underserved racial and ethnic groups. The culmination of the project will be a national summit to present project findings and recommendations to health researchers, health care providers, public health professionals, policy makers, and advocates.
Research activities will be led by the Oregon Institute on Disability & Development at Oregon Health & Science University, and will be conducted in partnership with the National Center on Cultural Competence at Georgetown University, the Institute on Disability and Development at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the Center for Disability Studies at the University of Southern California/Childrens Hospital Los Angeles, the Institute for Disability Studies at the University of Southern Mississippi, and a national Advisory Council of adults with disabilities and family members from underserved racial and ethnic groups. Additionally, the American Association on Health and Disability will assist with conducting the national summit and disseminating project findings and recommendations.
Keyword(s):
health disparities, race, ethnicity, disabled adults, research
Target Audience:
Professionals and Para-Professionals, Family Members/Caregivers, Adults with Disabilities, Legislators/Policy Makers, General Public
