Gaining Trust With Vulnerable Populations

For this assignment, you will apply critical thinking to what you have learned up to this point in this course regarding the successes and failures of the U.S. health care system as it relates to issues of cost, access, and quality. You are expected to address these topics from the perspective of a medical professional that is both ethical and respectful.

Select a vulnerable population that is impacted by a form of cultural disparity. Write a 1,000- to 1,200-word paper that addresses the following:

  1. Describe your selected population, and explain what factors and characteristics contribute to them being identified as vulnerable.
  2. Describe elements that contribute to this population’s distrust of the health care system and/or medical treatments. Why is trust important? If a patient does not trust health care providers, can he or she receive effective treatment? Why or why not?
  3. Identify foundations that the U.S. health care system has used to study those with special health needs both historically and today?
  4. Identify steps that health care professionals and institutions can take to overcome the effects of the cultural disparity.