Research Programs on Inequality in Health

Healthcare aims to promote public health by preventing and treating diseases in each patient. This requires that all patients have easy and equal access to high-quality treatment. Therefore, the Danish healthcare system is based on a principle of equal access to high-quality treatment for everyone.

It is crucial, therefore, to continuously investigate whether there are disparities in health and in the healthcare services provided. Within the realm of healthcare, inequality refers to differences that impact a patient's ability to receive accurate diagnosis and treatment, and thus affect the outcomes of their illness. Factors such as timely access to healthcare services (prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care, and rehabilitation) and the quality of services received are critical in this context.

If certain societal groups have less access or receive lower-quality care compared to others, it constitutes social inequality in healthcare. Social groups can be defined in various ways, typically based on socio-economic characteristics (e.g., education, income, employment status), demographic characteristics (e.g., gender, age, ethnicity), and clinical characteristics (e.g., comorbidities, mental illness, disabilities).

Inequality can also be examined geographically, by comparing different regions or areas, or by comparing regions, hospitals, and departments.

The Danish Center for Healthcare Research has several research programs that investigate inequality within the healthcare system. These programs address both physical and mental illnesses. Lots of these projects utilize data from nationwide registries and national quality databases, which allows for nationwide studies using data that are unique in many respects to Denmark. The projects contribute significant knowledge and new perspectives on patient characteristics, incidence/prevalence, patient pathways, treatment quality, prognosis, and outcomes.

The results are essential for uncovering disparities and inequities within the healthcare system, which may otherwise be difficult to identify and document. The findings thus serve as information and decision support to ensure that all citizens receive uniform, high-quality treatment regardless of their background.