Fair Care for All: Why Equity Matters in Healthcare

Healthcare has the power to shape a fairer society, but it's not quite there yet. Right now, quality improvement (QI) processes focus on metrics and reports, but they often overlook equity. This is a big problem because equity should be at the heart of quality care. Without it, healthcare can't truly be patient-centered. Think about it this way: quality metrics set standards for care, but if they don't include equity, they're missing a crucial piece. This is true even for serious health issues like injury and violence. Every patient deserves fair treatment, and society should aim for this too. So, how do we make equity a key part of healthcare quality? First, patients, providers, and organizations need to work together. They should align health equity with quality metrics. This means making sure that equity is not just an afterthought but a central goal. By doing this, healthcare can truly live up to its potential. There are ways to make this happen. Recommendations and successful examples show that operationalizing health equity is possible. It's time to make fair care a reality for everyone.