Equity-Oriented Health Care
The information on this page can be used to help health-care teams advance and action equity across the health system.
Equity-Oriented Health Care
Involves designing care tailored to those at greater risk of poor health and takes into account broad social, political, and economic forces shaping health and health care. Equity-oriented care is better for everyone (EQUIP Healthcare)l
Health Equity is achieved when:
- all people have fair opportunities to reach our full health potential (i.e. quality affordable and accessible health care, food security, safe housing, etc.)
- we acknowledge that some people have unequal starting places and obstacles in the way to achieving good health (i.e. disadvantages due to discrimination, poverty, lack of access, etc.) and different strategies and resources are used to correct the imbalances
- unnecessary and avoidable differences that are unfair and unjust are reduced or eliminated
One size does not fit all
Just like the image below from the Robert Johnson Foundation, there is a difference between health care equity and health equality. If everyone is provided the same size and type of bike, equality would be achieved. But with equality, a person in a wheelchair would not be able to ride, and it would be very difficult for some of the others. For equity to be achieved, everyone gets a bike that meets their needs. The same is true for health care. One size does not fit all. It is important that everyone gets what they need-understanding the barriers, circumstances and condition
People may experience health inequities due to ethnicity, gender, substance use, mental illness, sexuality, disability, neurodivergence, age, body size, income, religion, social status, and where we live.
Equity in Health Care
- To reduce demand and cost to the system
- To Improve quality of care, client confidence in our system and provider satisfaction
- To improve health outcomes and close unjust gaps in health status
- To help advance commitments to Truth and Reconciliation
- To meet accreditation standards
- Culturally safe and responsive care, free of racism and discrimination
- Trauma and violence-informed care
- Welcoming, accessible and inclusive spaces
- Targeted interventions
- Community-centred approaches
- Policies and practices that have been reviewed and revised with an equity lens
- Recruitment and retention strategies in place for diverse staff
- Equity weaved into team/department practices (e.g. Professional Development, funding, meeting agendas)
- Lived experience of inequities informing design and delivery of health care programs and services
Looking for practical supports and resources to help put health equity into action in health care?