EquiCare Toolkit

Addressing health disparities, the avoidable differences in health outcomes and access to care stemming from systemic factors such as social determinants of health and rooted in structural racism, marginalization, and discrimination against vulnerable groups, is critical for mitigating adverse health outcomes. Racism, marginalization, and discrimination operate at various levels in healthcare systems, perpetuating discriminatory practices. Conversely, achieving health equity entails fair treatment for all, ensuring equitable (not equal) opportunities and outcomes.

Psychologists play crucial roles in actively dismantling inequalities within healthcare systems by promoting identification and tackling systemic barriers such as implicit biases, microaggressions, and inequitable quality of care. They further promote cultural humility among providers and culturally respectful and responsive healthcare, alongside the adoption of a biopsychosocial perspective that considers broad social contexts, all of which are critical for advancing health equity.

Primary care, as the cornerstone of healthcare, serves a particularly vital function in fostering equity through the establishment of trusting relationships between patients and providers. Enhanced relationship building and improved health outcomes can be achieved by engaging diverse racial, ethnic, multicultural, and other marginalized patients in care design. Strengthening relationships between patients and providers is central to primary care innovations that lead to healthier outcomes.