Assessing the relationship between race, reported health, and access to health services

Race and its interaction with health disparities is a subject worthy of much attention. It is a topic addressed by research, courses, books, organizations, government initiatives, political campaigns, and practically any other medium dealing in the subject of health. This emphatic attention stems from the ongoing injustice of health inequality experienced by many racial groups. This dissertation assessed the relationship between race, self-reported health status, health improvement targets, and cancer treatment. Chapter 2 examined the consistency, and consequently the reliability, of the study variable labeled "self-reported health status" in measuring health outcomes between racial/ethnic groups. Chapter 3 assessed the effectiveness of national efforts to improve the health status within the U.S. relative to racial/ethnic group health differences. Finally, Chapter 4 examined both diagnostic and treatment patterns for a racially diverse cohort of privately-insured cancer patients in relative comparison to whites. Individually, each of these chapters has a unique focus (variable consistency, temporal comparisons, and treatment patterns). Collectively, these three chapters elucidate the common challenge faced when measuring health differences and reporting health disparities of various racial/ethnic groups. in summary, this dissertation concluded that improving the health of the U.S. population requires new standards in research and reporting on the health of racial/ethnic groups. The health status of the U.S. population as a whole is ranked the worst of 30 developed countries. Contributing factors to poor health status of the U.S. population are the health disparities experienced by racial minority groups. Health service research plays a significant role in measuring and describing the health of all population groups. Resources to address population health are often distributed based on the findings and recommendations of health services research. Comprehensive descriptions of health for all racial/ethnic groups constitute a key factor if improvements in the population's health are to be achieved.