what is discrimination in health and social care

Discrimination in health and social care refers to negative actions or lack of consideration given to an individual or group that occurs because of a preconceived and unjustified opinion. Discrimination can occur based on various factors such as gender, ethnicity, race, immigration generation, religion, and social group assignment. It can occur at different levels, including individual, institutional, and structural levels. Discrimination can act as a barrier to healthcare, as individuals who have experienced discrimination in the past may be more reluctant to seek health care, as they may perceive it as a setting of increased risk for discrimination. Discrimination can negatively impact health, especially for socially disadvantaged groups. Some examples of discrimination in healthcare settings include providers dismissing a patients symptoms or health concerns, offering different treatment based on a patients type of insurance, or not providing care in a patients preferred language. To reduce discrimination in healthcare, healthcare systems can take actions such as increasing diversity and reducing disparities, providing cultural competency training to healthcare providers, and implementing policies and procedures to address discrimination.