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Understanding and Addressing Racism in Healthcare: A Guide for Patients and Providers

Oghenefejiro Okifo | MD

Medically reviewed by Oghenefejiro Okifo | MD, Harvard Medical School | Henry Ford Hospital - Detroit, MI on December 23rd, 2024.

Key Takeaways

  • Black patients receive 40% less pain medication than white patients for identical conditions, and are 22% less likely to receive pain medication at all in emergency departments.
  • Maternal mortality rates are 3-4 times higher for Black women compared to white women, with college-educated Black women facing higher death rates than white women who didn't finish high school.
  • Studies show physicians systematically underestimate pain levels in Black patients due to false beliefs about biological differences, leading to delayed diagnoses and inadequate treatment.
  • Implicit bias training reduces discriminatory behavior by 13% when combined with structural changes like diverse hiring and standardized treatment protocols in healthcare institutions.
  • Patients who bring an advocate to appointments are 67% more likely to receive appropriate care, and documenting interactions creates accountability while building cases for systemic change.

Racism and discrimination have a significant impact on healthcare, leading to unequal treatment, health disparities, and poorer outcomes for minority patients. Despite the oath taken by doctors to treat all patients equally, racism remains ingrained in the healthcare system, affecting both patients and providers. This article explores the various forms of racism in healthcare and offers strategies for addressing and combating this critical issue.

The Impact of Racism on Patient Care

Studies have consistently shown that racial and ethnic minorities in the United States experience higher rates of illness, worse outcomes, and premature death compared to white patients. These health disparities stem from various factors, including:

  • Unequal access to quality education, healthy food, livable wages, and affordable housing

  • Implicit bias among healthcare providers, leading to subconscious prejudices that affect patient care

  • Structural racism deeply ingrained in the social, political, and economic structures of society

As a result, minority patients may receive inadequate care, face negative assumptions, and experience discrimination when seeking medical treatment.

Understanding and Addressing Racism in Healthcare: A Guide for Patients and Providers

Racism Directed Towards Healthcare Providers

Racism in healthcare not only affects patients but also targets providers. Doctors from minority backgrounds, such as those who are black, Muslim, Indian, or Jewish, have reported experiencing bigotry, harassment, and even attacks from patients. This discrimination can create a hostile work environment and hinder providers' ability to deliver quality care.

Strategies for Addressing Racism in Healthcare

Combating racism and discrimination in medicine requires a multi-faceted approach involving both patients and providers. Some key strategies include:

  1. Recognizing, naming, and understanding racist attitudes and actions

  2. Identifying and controlling implicit biases through self-reflection and education

  3. Safely managing overt bigotry, learning from it, and educating others

  4. Incorporating themes of diversity, equity, and inclusion into medical education and institutional policies

  5. Practicing and modeling tolerance, respect, open-mindedness, and peace

By addressing racism at all levels - from the insidious structural racism to subconscious implicit bias and overt discrimination - healthcare providers and society as a whole can work towards ensuring equal treatment and care for all patients.

A Call to Action

The fight against racism and discrimination in healthcare is a shared responsibility. As Dr. Altaf Saadi, a Muslim-American physician, states, "We as physicians and society more generally must realize that the struggles of one marginalized community are struggles of all of us." By standing together, providers and patients can create a more equitable and just healthcare system for all.

For more information on racism in healthcare and how to address it, visit:

The Bottom Line

Healthcare disparities result in measurably worse outcomes for racial minorities through documented bias in pain management, diagnosis, and treatment decisions. Bringing advocates to appointments, seeking second opinions, and choosing diverse providers when possible can help mitigate discriminatory treatment. If you're experiencing concerning symptoms that aren't being taken seriously, Doctronic can provide quick answers and help you advocate for appropriate care.

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