Date
5-20-2026
Department
School of Health Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences (PhD)
Chair
Orchid George
Keywords
Healthcare Disparities, Low-income communities, Hispanic patients, finances, healthcare education
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences | Public Health
Recommended Citation
Garcia, Joanna Marie, "Inadequate Access to Healthcare in Low-Income Hispanic Communities in Brooklyn" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8538.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8538
Abstract
The purpose of this qualitative research was to understand healthcare disparities using the Solar and Irwin conceptual framework and to shed light on healthcare disparities as the reason low-income Hispanic patients, male and female, from the ages of 20-90 in Brooklyn, New York, received inadequate access to healthcare. Healthcare disparities represented a critical issue in providing adequate patient care for adult Hispanic patients within the United States healthcare system. Research into healthcare disparities has been conducted; however, detailed information about the causes of the disparities was lacking, especially concerning inadequate access to healthcare in low-income Hispanic communities. This qualitative research aimed to shed light on inadequate access to healthcare by targeting low-income Hispanic adults in an outpatient clinic in Brooklyn, New York. The objective was to understand the historical factors contributing to health inequalities by conducting interviews, observations, and demographic survey questions with low-income adult Hispanic patients. The healthcare disparities the researcher addressed may include limited access to healthcare, low educational attainment, language barriers, and potential adjustments within the healthcare system aimed at reducing prevalence. The data collection methods utilized within this research were observation, interviews, and surveys conducted by the researcher, which were analyzed using the Atlas.ti data analysis tool to expand the research. Considering the research methodology employed in the study, substantial references derived from firsthand experiences were included. Overall, this research focused on the low-income Hispanic community of Brooklyn, New York, and aimed to shed light on healthcare disparities causing inequalities in the healthcare system. The research resulted in confirmation of healthcare disparities, causing inequalities in the healthcare system for low-income Hispanic patients.
