Ethnicity, equity, and quality: lessons from New Zealand

• Published in: BMJ Vol. 327; no. 7412; pp. 443 - 444
• Main Authors: McPherson, K M, Harwood, M, McNaughton, H K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London British Medical Journal Publishing Group 23.08.2003; British Medical Association; BMJ Publishing Group LTD; BMJ Publishing Group; BMJ Group
• Edition: International edition
• Subjects: Bioethics; Biological and medical sciences; Culture; Delivery of Health Care - organization & administration; Delivery of Health Care - standards; Education And Debate; Ethnic groups; Ethnicity; General populations; Health outcomes; Health Planning; Health Services Accessibility - organization & administration; Health Services Accessibility - standards; Health Services, Indigenous - organization & administration; Health Services, Indigenous - standards; Humans; Illnesses; Indigenous people; Life Expectancy; Medical practice; Medical sciences; Mental health outcomes; New Zealand - ethnology; Oceanic Ancestry Group; Poverty; Prevention and actions; Program Evaluation; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Quality of life; Treaties; Tropical medicine; New Zealand; Oceania; Human; Life expectancy; Disease; Quality; Equity; Health service; Epidemiology; Public health; Ethnic group; Health Care and Public Health
• ISSN: 0959-8138; 0959-8146; 1468-5833; 1756-1833
• DOI: 10.1136/bmj.327.7412.443

The starting point in identifying inequality in health outcomes is ensuring accuracy of data. The 2001 census indicates that 14.1% of New Zealand's population is Maori, 6.2% Pacific people, and 6.4% Asian.2 Each of these groups is actually growing at a faster rate than pakeha (the white descendants of colonial settlers). Until recently, documentation of ethnic origin in relation to health was not routinely collected.