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Health Care Reform and Equity: A Review of Kevin Fiscella’s Insights
In his article "Health Care Reform and Equity: "Promise, Pitfalls, and Prescriptions" are
three tracks that Kevin Fiscella has taken in his research to identify the unrelenting health care
disparities in the US and to uncover the role the ACA Act of 2010 could have in equalizing
health outcomes. Fiscella identifies six critical healthcare reform domains that could influence
equity: outside or internal workforce, financial decisions, health information technology,
payment models, quality monitoring and gifts, and health disparities. Here, I will outline the two
main pillars- primary care and information technology- that are a part of the biblical worldview
prescription concerning public and community health issues.
Primary Care
Fiscella focuses on the idea that building primary care is the core factor that leads to
minimizing the existing disparities and bringing equity in health care. The ACA aims to breathe
life back into the idea of primary care through its efforts to ameliorate the pay structure for
doctors, reinforce training, and increase health centers, which are sacrosanct for providing
accessible and undisrupted care to vulnerable groups of people (Fiscella, 2011). Therefore, this
strategy is anticipated to promote the continuity of care so that far from doctors and patients
getting to know each other well, the trust, stereotypes among the doctors, and biases will be
eliminated.
Biblical Worldview Analysis
The emphasis on robust primary care resonates with the biblical principle of caring for
the least among us (Matthew 25:40). Both momentary bliss and pain are expressions of our
emotions, and they have the power to spark joy, attraction, love, compassion, and bring peace or
start a war. It is a principle that postulates that the people, especially the most vulnerable, must
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be guaranteed accessibility to essential services and healthcare. According to Fiscella (2011), the
ACA is based on the biblical notion of compassion and justice, which looks to render
comprehensive primary care services to vulnerable populations and determines the service
provider's responsibility to serve these individuals impartially.
Health Information Technology
The story talks about how advanced health information technology, such as developing
electronic health records (EHRs), is an essential starting point for providing a high-quality
healthcare service and health equity. The ACA promotes this way of thinking through incentives
for the meaningful present use of EHRs, which are expected to improve care coordination,
reduce errors, and improve patient outcomes (Fiscella, 2011). Therefore, Fiscella educated us
that the digital divide could expand so we can increase the gap between the ethnic and low-
income populations.
Biblical Worldview Analysis
From a biblical perspective, the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom is highly valued
(Proverbs 1:7). Lastly, volunteers will be trained on prevention strategies such as fire drills and
evacuation routes, the importance of AEDs, and using a Simple Call System. Health information
technology can be a power that helps healers think more appropriately and precisely about health
matters since it is an important instrument that allows them to recognize and understand all the
necessary details (Fiscella, 2011). Still, the technology problem of the digital divide can be a
possible danger. Still, Christianity mandates remedial steps to eliminate this so that people of all
layers of society will benefit, not just the successful or technology savvy.
Conclusion
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Fiscella emphasizes that the ACA principle in primary care and healthcare IT brings a
maze of possible gains and shortcomings in attaining health equality. Consequently, the
implication of both the earthy and the institutional domains from the biblical perspective is the
necessity of acting toward the extension of justice in society and the equitable stewardship of the
world's natural resources. However, achieving this goal depends on properly enforcing and
monitoring these reforms to avoid widening disparities. Attainment of the purpose requires
improvements in the health system to contribute to a more inclusive and equitable healthcare
system.
