One major social determinant of health that determine the quality and level of health among members of a society is the healthcare system put in place. A healthcare system refers to the process through which healthcare is financed, delivered and organized in a population. A healthcare system determines access to critical healthcare services by members of the society, how resources are allocated and expenditure (World Health Organization, 2008) . While there are many factors within healthcare system, in most cases, it affects access to healthcare services among individuals and groups in the society.
Healthcare system affect the access to healthcare services for individuals and groups in a society in a variety of ways. Access to healthcare services refers to the timely use of healthcare services available to an individual in a way that will result in the best health outcomes ( Artiga & Hinton, 2019) . It requires first that a person gains entry into the healthcare system, through insurance coverage; access a location where healthcare services are provided, which is provider availability; finds a trustable care provider who can communicate and understand, hence linguistic and cultural competency; and is able to afford services needed to an optimum level hence quality care.
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The interrelationship between the different parts of a system, as explained in functionalism, is vital to the creation of a valuable system that gives results. The different factors in the society affect the quality of healthcare provided by a healthcare system (World Health Organization, 2008) . In determining the access to healthcare, different factors are considered important. Such include the cost of care, presence of protective and risk factors, access to quality nutrition, employment and career.
The ability of a healthcare system to provide the necessary services required by members of the public mainly depend on the ability to gain entry into the healthcare system. Gaining entry into a healthcare system refers to methods that an individual uses to acquire services which may be personal payment or insurance coverage ( Artiga & Hinton, 2019) . Different types of insurance covers determine who will get what services in a healthcare system. For example, while some countries such as Canada have universal coverage insurance policy, there are premium covers which offer additional services to members of the public causing health disparities.
The presence of healthcare facilities in a certain geographical region where people live in a healthcare system also affect access to healthcare services. The presence of services in the neighborhoods of individuals affect their ability to maintain quality health. In places where there are a few to no healthcare providers, the quality of health of people is often poorer than where healthcare providers are located near.
Cultural competency is also an important factor and determiner of access in a healthcare system. Cultural competency is the ability of organizations and healthcare personnel to deliver services that meet linguistic, social and cultural needs of a patient. Interactionism look at human behavior at the lower level with the acknowledgement that humans try to create meaning for matters outside their control. Small-scale interactions, such as that between a doctor and patient influence human behavior and in return how they will respond to healthcare services. Consequently, if the services, are offered in a culturally appropriate manner and a language that can be understood, then they are likely to result in a high level quality of health which explains racial and ethnic differences in quality of health. According to Artiga & Hinton, (2019) racial and ethnic minorities often have low access to healthcare services compared to other members of the society. The effects of culture and language differences also affect the ability of members of the public to access healthcare services.
The last factor that affects the access to healthcare services in a healthcare system is a quality of care. Quality of care is closely tied to the cost of services offered by healthcare providers. High cost of services means a reduction in the ability of people to access. According to the conflict theory, the society presents competition in the process of distribution of power and resources which bring about inequality (World Health Organization, 2008) . Due to competition, people from the low social economic class of the society are unable to access healthcare services when they are expensive. Therefore, the higher the cost of healthcare services, the lower the number of people who can access.
References
Artiga, S., & Hinton, E. (2019). Beyond health care: the role of social determinants in promoting health and health equity. Health , 20 , 10.
World Health Organization. (2008). Social determinants of health (No. SEA-HE-190). WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia.
