1 Even more important than these healthcare disparities is the striking evidence of the persistence of disparities in health status by both socioeconomic status 2 and race/ethnicity. In spite of all these efforts, several recent studies indicate the persistence of large disparities in treatment by race and ethnicity.

In the past decade there has been increased awareness of large racial and ethnic disparities in medical care and many new initiatives to address them. The studies reviewed highlight the importance of systematic evaluation of social and economic policies that might have health consequences and the need for policy makers, healthcare providers, and leaders across multiple sectors of society to apply currently available knowledge to improve the underlying conditions that impact the health of populations. It focuses both on interventions within the healthcare system that address some of the social determinants of health, as well as, interventions in upstream factors such as housing, neighborhood conditions and increased socioeconomic status that can lead to improvements in health. This paper highlights research evidence documenting that tackling the social determinants of health can lead to reductions in health disparities. Accordingly, effective efforts to improve health and reduce gaps in health need to pay greater attention to addressing the social determinants of health within and outside of the healthcare system. However, health is more a function of lifestyles linked to living and working conditions than of healthcare. Currently, much of the policy focus around reducing health disparities has been geared towards improving access, coverage, quality and the intensity of healthcare. There is considerable scientific and policy interest in reducing socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in healthcare and health status.

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