Racism within the U.S. HealthCare System
By: Malaz Elbadri
America faces large disparities concerning racial issues. For years, Black Americans have faced discrimination, prejudice, and racism throughout the United States. Many factors contribute to the continuation of this treatment. One of the most significant issues we have in the United States is systemic racism. The effects of systemic racism in the police system affect Black citizens every day, however, racism dives much deeper than police brutality and racial profiling. The largest system that holds bias and racism is the health care system.
Much research has identified aspects of the health care system that negatively affect Black people. For example, a 2016 research study revealed disparities in pain treatment of Black patients. The study found that 73% of medical students upheld stereotypes that claimed Black people had a higher pain tolerance than white people. The effects of such stereotypes have significant consequences in the lives of those affected. A previous study discovered that “Black children with appendicitis were less likely to receive pain medication than white children.” The same result was found for patients with recurring cancer. In her article written in the Harvard Health Blog, Dr. Monique Tello described an occurrence a Black patient of hers had. The patient was experiencing pain from a medical condition, yet emergency room doctors did not treat her pain. She said that the doctors treated her as if she was “trying to play them” and “just trying to get pain meds out of them.”
However, this racist treatment does not stop here. It also affects the quality of emergency care, medical care for pregnant Black women, chronic illness rates among Black people and mental health rates. Infant mortality occurs at a rate of 11 out of 1,000 Black babies but only five in 1,000 white babies. Furthermore, it was found that compared to white people, Black people are 3–4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes.
So what causes these disparities in the first place? Many of these issues arise from racist ideas present in the medical system that have been passed on for centuries. A prime example of this is the idea that Black people experience less pain than white people. Although this idea has been proven wrong, many doctors and medical professionals still hold this viewpoint. Moreover, as explained by the American Academy of Family Physicians, many hospitals and clinics experience financial constraints and face hardships of being “under-resourced and improperly staffed.” This is usually the case in hospitals and clinics previously designated for racial and ethnic minorities. This contributes to racial and ethnic health disparities and affects the access and quality of health care available to people of color.
Recognizing these disparities is the first step in taking action against these processes, however, major changes need to be implemented to create meaningful differences within the American health care system and target the disparities that disproportionately affect Black Americans. Tello offers some solutions to this issue. She states that the first major step in being able to recognize these issues is to recognize our own biases. She says that “we need to be able to manage overt bigotry safely, learn from it, and educate others.” Furthermore, changes need to occur concerning the educational protocol of medical professionals and students. A research study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that health care training neglects the importance of teaching appropriate interventions to help target racism. The study’s authors propose investing in a “multi-level approach” starting with policy and organizational interventions, transparent accountability processes, long-term partnerships with communities of color, and mandatory staff training that is specifically tailored to address implicit bias. Ultimately, making a change starts with the education and training of medical professionals. We need to focus on targeting stereotypes that already exist and getting rid of them.