Health Equity

Health disparities-differences in health status, treatment, or outcomes-exist between racial and ethnic minorities; people with low socioeconomic status; lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people; women; people with disabilities; and others, compared with majority populations. Improved insurance coverage and targeted efforts by health care systems have narrowed some disparities, but many gaps remain. There is a growing recognition that interventions outside the health care sector that address social determinants of health such as housing, employment, and education are also needed. The effects of interventions in these areas are of interest to health services researchers. Innovative cross-sector approaches that improve health through medical and nonmedical interventions hold promise for further reducing health disparities.