Systemic, avoidable, predictable, and unjust differences in access, treatment, and outcomes between individuals and across populations should be particularly troubling for quality improvers. These types of differences are often referred to as inequities or disparities. 

Inequities are the worst type of unwanted variation in a system — variation linked to the complicated history and reality of racism, classism, sexism, ableism, ageism, and other forms of oppression. Quality improvers have a role to play and tools to use in health care systems and communities to end inequities.