Understanding Healthcare Vulnerabilities Among Florida’s Diverse Populations

Healthcare is more than just an essential social service. This is true everywhere but perhaps never more so than in Florida, where people from all over the country relocate to experience the state’s uniquely libertarian approach to personal health decisions.

Politics notwithstanding, the state is also unique in other aspects. Located in a humid environment with the potential to breed rare diseases, and home to a diverse population of patients, Florida has many unique vulnerabilities.

In this article, we take a look at healthcare factors everyone in the state of Florida should be aware of. We also take a look at several solutions that could alleviate the stress of some of these vulnerabilities.

Vaccine Hesitancy

Florida is a state that prioritizes “medical freedom.” Medical freedom as a political concept requires state law to respect an individual’s right to make their own health decisions. This includes things that are regulated in other states—such as vaccination status. Where some public schools may require students to get regular physicals and keep their shot records up to date, states with medical freedom policies are much more lenient.

These laws have also applied to other personal health choices, including mask usage. During the pandemic, Florida was one of the first states to allow people to stop wearing masks in public.

Proponents of these laws appreciate the personal liberty that they afford. They like the ability to have a more significant say in their personal health choices.

Critics, on the other hand, worry that medical freedom could have ramifications that extend beyond individual rights.

Vaccine hesitancy creates risks for more than just the person who has decided not to get themselves inoculated. Vulnerable segments of the population may be at greater risk for contracting COVID-19, the flu, and other dangerous diseases, even if they were vaccinated themselves.

Vaccinations are more controversial now than perhaps ever before. In states like Florida, the issue extends beyond personal health. It’s a political notion. People get vaccines, or refuse them, as a way of demonstrating party loyalty.

Education is one of the best ways to disentangle this issue. Hospitals and clinics that emphasize the facts and benefits of vaccines are sometimes successful at cutting through the politics that surround the issue.

For now, however, vaccine hesitancy is an acute problem in Florida. People with immune system vulnerabilities are particularly at risk in communities with low vaccination rates.

Mosquito Born Illness

Mosquito-born illness is becoming increasingly more prominent in North America. Experts believe this is due to climate change. As winters become shorter and shorter throughout the country, mosquitos have more time to breed. Higher mosquito populations inevitably result in higher rates of bloodborne illness.

Florida is a particularly high-risk area. Because the climate is more tropical than many other states in the country, the conditions are already ideal for mosquitos. These insects fare well in hot, humid environments, making Florida an ideal location for them.

Florida and Alabama have both recently experienced cases of the rare Dengue Fever— a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease previously absent from the United States.

How serious of a risk is mosquito-borne illness? While rates remain relatively low in the United States right now, the growth potential should be taken seriously. Malaria alone kills more than 600,000 globally every year, leaving hundreds of millions more desperately sick.

While North America does not experience bloodborne illness at nearly such a high volume yet, that could change as mosquito breeding seasons continue to lengthen. Florida, with its already humid climate, will be a notable hotspot.

Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done to prevent mosquito-borne illness in areas where it is a high risk. Bug repellent and preventative medications can help, but even ample preparation is not always sufficient.

Healthcare Justice

When it comes to diversity in healthcare, minority patients are usually at a higher risk than members of the majority group. While the reasons behind this are many, it comes down primarily to an issue of communication.

In Florida, and all of the other states, white doctors and nurses are not always effective at communicating with patients of color. Cultural barriers are the primary culprit. Sensitivity training is one of several important steps that can lead to the solution.

DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) boards help hospitals rethink their policies and train caregivers to be more effective at listening to and helping minority patients. They are also good at helping hospitals re-examine their recruitment strategies. Healthcare organizations that can attract diverse team members will ultimately be more effective at helping all of their patients than hospitals that cannot accomplish this.

Generalized Solutions

Hospitals everyone can optimize their services by rethinking their patient care strategies. Evidence-based practice is one way to accomplish this. Evidence-based practice takes a research-oriented approach to handling medical problems.

Patient’s individual needs are weighed using their background health information as well as all available healthcare data to leverage bespoke care strategies. This can lead to improved outcomes but is also more resource-intensive than traditional medical practices.

Florida is not alone in its need to rethink aspects of its patient care strategies. America is notorious for healthcare that is neither as affordable nor effective as it should be for a country with such considerable resources.

Advocacy is an important way to make a difference. If you live in the state of Florida and are passionate about improving healthcare, look for and support politicians who align with your values. Working toward improved public policy is a great way to quickly change your local healthcare system.

For more specific activism strategies, consider reaching out to the hospitals and clinics in your community. They may be able to offer insights into what struggles they are facing, and how you and other community members can play a part in correcting the problem.