Tackling health inequalities in primary care

BMJ 1999;318:1020-1021 ( 17 April )

Editorials

Tackling health inequalities in primary care

Recording socioeconomic data in primary care is essential

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The adverse health effects of social inequality are enormous. In the United Kingdom death rates at all ages are two to threetimes higher among people in social class V than among those insocial class I. ¹ ² Poor socioeconomic status also erodessocial, psychological, and physical health.³ Reducing healthinequalities is central to the United Kingdom government's recentlyoutlined health policy,⁴ a commitment confirmed by the positivereception given to the recently published Acheson report on inequalitiesin health.⁵ However, in spite of their importance both to theoverall health care of individuals and in health policy, socioeconomicfactors are not routinely assessed in clinicalpractice.

The power of the socioeconomic determinants of ill health requires that we should adapt the traditional medical model. Wenow understand that diseases have both biological and societalcauses, yet our interventions remain focused on the biological.¹We need to begin to take histories . . . [Full text of this article]

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Relevant Article

Tackling health inequalities in primary care: John Macleod, Rhian Loudon, Dougal Darvill, Liam Smeeth, and Iona Heath
BMJ 1999 319: 454. [Extract] [Full Text]

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Rapid Responses:

Read all Rapid Responses

Recording useful socioeconomic data in primary care is not currently feasible: Stephen Gardiner
bmj.com, 18 Apr 1999 [Full text]
Tackling health inequalities in primary care: Patrick Bower
bmj.com, 19 Apr 1999 [Full text]
Tackling inequalities in Primary Care: John Macleod
bmj.com, 29 Apr 1999 [Full text]
Recording socioeconomic data: Dougal Darvill
bmj.com, 30 Apr 1999 [Full text]