JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Every April, the United States Department of Health and Human Services highlights the importance of improving the health of racial and ethnic communities and closing the gap of health disparities.
News4JAX spoke with Dr. Kim Barbel Johnson at the Mayo Clinic about steps we can take to close the gap in Jacksonville.
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It’s not enough to just book a doctor’s appointment.
Patients must be able to communicate what’s wrong specifically and know their available health options. This is called health literacy.
In Florida, racial and ethnic minorities have lower average health literacy scores than white adults, according to Floridaliteracy.org.
“When we look at the numbers, they’re starling. They’re actually humbling,” Barbel Johnson said.
Research shows that minority communities suffer from high rates of diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and asthma.
“We need to know what those numbers are so we can engage in the right treatment,” Barbel Johnson said.
The Mayo Clinic is working to address and correct racial-based health disparities.
Barbel Johnson said the hospital is using community outreach to create change.
“We are continuing every day to work on educating the community, to work on policies and work with our primary care specialty communities to address these disparities but we still have some work to do,” Barbel Johnson said.
It is possible to learn your numbers at home. For example, patients can monitor their blood sugar levels with a glucose meter and finger stick. That can be purchased at a local pharmacy.
Patients can also make a visit to their doctor as well.