Glossary of Terms

Health disparities: Measurable differences in health status between population groups—defined in social, economic, demographic, or geographic terms—that are unfair and unavoidable (Whitehead and Dahlgren 2007)

Health equity: The fair distribution of resources needed for health, fair access to opportunities for wellness, and fairness in the support offered to people when ill (Whitehead and Dahlgren 2007)

Healthcare disparities: Differences in the quality of healthcare that are not due to access-related factors, clinical needs, preference, or appropriateness of intervention (Smedley et al. 2003)

Health literacy: The ability to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions (Ratzan and Parker 2000)

Diversity: The inclusion of healthcare professionals, trainees, educators, researchers, and patients of varied race, ethnicity, gender, disability, social class, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, primary spoken language, and geographic region (Togioka et al. 2022)

Unconscious Bias: Attitudes or stereotypes that are outside of our awareness but nonetheless affect our understanding, interactions, and decisions. Unconscious bias may influence our feelings and attitudes and result in involuntary discriminatory practices, especially under demanding circumstances (Staats et al. 2017)

Microaggressions: The daily, commonplace interactions, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative slights and insults towards members of marginalized groups (Sue et al. 2007)

Toxic stress: A prolonged or permanent activation of the stress response that results dysfunction or the inability of the body to recover fully (Franke 2014)