2023 reply1 According to the Health Determinants video the determinants of health are

reply1

According to the Health Determinants video, the determinants of health are biological and genetic makeup, individual behavior, social interactions and norms, and physical environment. The video introduced an elderly man named James who lives in a low-income neighborhood and does not have close access to the grocery store to buy fresh fruits and vegetables. Therefore, his environment puts him at risk for getting diabetes because he gets most of his food from convenience stores and fast food restaurants. Interventions to solve health disparities involve information, policies and programs. The intervention proposed for James is to introduce a subsidized farmers market that is walking distance in his neighborhood for low-income seniors (Determinants of Health, 2020). 

           In my experience, I know an elderly individual who is in the same situation as James from the video. She currently does not live near a supermarket and has to take the bus which is more difficult now because of COVID. I have convinced her son to move her to another apartment complex that has a market attached to the first floor so it is walking distance. I believe that the change in environment would benefit her health.

reply2

ne of the patient encounters in which I experienced a health disparity, that was a determinant of the patient’s health was when I attended a patient in a marginalized minority who was unable to pay for her medical bills. Being from a low-income household that has been disadvantaged for a long time, the patient experienced a disparity in health conditions due to their social and economic history. There was credible proof that this patient, who was from a disadvantaged low-income group, faced systemic barriers to receiving quality and affordable health care (Adler et al., 2016).

The state of health of this patient was very serious and emergency medical attention was needed to save her life.  Any delay in providing this patient with basic treatment would minimize her chances of survival. However, by being a victim of health inequality, an opportunity came up to assist her to gain access to healthcare services (Wilhelm & Allen, 2018).I exploited the opportunity and acted by engaging the hospital social worker to help her secure healthcare services without the financial burden and. However, the social worker responded but failed to provide a comprehensive solution to this patient, making my efforts to help the patient futile. The social worker did not provide the financial assistance and only requested for crowd funding to be organized to raise the costs of the healthcare service (Marmot, 2018).

Should such a case present itself the next time, I would consider seeking intervention from the hospital management to put such a patient under persons with special interests who require affirmative health care services. I would also encourage such patients to secure public health insurance to enable them to access medical services without having to pay out of pocket. Such a different approach to a similar situation in the future will help me achieve a positive outcome in solving the challenges caused by health disparities and achieving health equity for all populations.