Health Equity VS Health Equality

In healthcare, equality means treating all patients the same way. For example, a hospice nurse may spend equal amounts of time with every patient, or a dermatologist may offer the same information about sun exposure and skin cancer risks to each of theirs.

Health equity prioritizes social justice in healthcare. Unlike health equality, which calls for equal treatment for all patients, health equity prioritizes treatment and care based on need.

Equality does not always work in practice because some people need more support or a different kind of support than others.

For example, the APHA has noted that while online and telehealth options may work well for patients with access to the internet, online platforms may exclude patients who do not have internet access. No matter how well an organization designs a website or web platform, if some patients cannot gain access to it due to living in a rural area, being unhoused, or lacking the income to purchase an electronic device, these efforts will not enable health equity.

An equity approach, according to the APHA, strives to give everyone the “opportunity to attain their highest level of health” which means giving extra attention and resources to people with ill health because of a lack of access.