Disparities in Asthma Prevalence Among Minority Groups in Urban Settings and its Impact on Managed Care: A Summary of Literature
Discrepancies in health care services are pervasive, specifically in regards to access to manage health care services for populations which tend to have limited financial resources. Urban minorities tend to be among those populations with restricted access to managed care. The frequency and the overall severity of asthma is increasing among urban minorities, specifically African-Americans and Hispanics, due to environmental conditions directly connected to the environmental conditions in which minorities live and work. Various health care strategies have had limited success in translating the gap between the managed care provider and the minority community. A case study of the city of Chicago and a comprehensive asthma care monitoring program demonstrates the degree and the scope of commitment required to make positive change in treating asthma in the impoverished minority community.
