Health Equity

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health equity is achieved when every person has the opportunity to “attain his or her full health potential” and no one is “disadvantaged from achieving this potential because of social position or other socially determined circumstances.” Health inequities are reflected in differences in length of life; quality of life; rates of disease, disability, and death; severity of disease; and access to treatment. Medical groups and health systems are working to reduce disparities in outcomes, address inequities through identifying the social determinants of health, and promote equitable access among patient populations.