Letters to the Editor
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Glamour magazine documented racial bias in treatment in 1997-1998
Glamour commissioned a study back in the late 90s about how OB/GYNs wouldn't closely question white women's sexual history (because they were, of course, "good girls") and therefore wouldn't suggest necessary screening tests for them; whereas it was pretty much assumed that women of color were loose/easy, and therefore OF COURSE must have an STD (and not just say, endometriosis).
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very good article
Very nicely done doctor. I think the lack of African-American MD's working in inner city neighborhoods, not in hospitals but as general practitioners, also results in a lack of medical treatment. There is a distrust of doctors by African-Americans, because they (we) rarely go to the doctor and know very few doctors in our community. Because of expense, growing up, I didn't visit a doctor unless it was an emergency. No preventative care, no advice from MDs on eating or exercise, no treatment for ongoing conditions. Meanwhile doctors, dealing with patients who are distrustful of the medical community and lacks knowledge about their own health, fall into common stereotypes about the people they are treating. Confronting the problem is the first step.
If health care becomes more affordable, more African-Americans, indeed more Americans, will begin to seek treatment.
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Very interesting
What a very interesting point about how most teaching hospitals are in cities, and therefore see a lot of members of the urban poor, who are likely to be black. I don't know much about training to be a doctor, but I assume the school part doesn't do much to dispel misty-eyed idealism... and then it's a cold, hard fall into the real world of hospital and patient politics as soon as you start your residency.
It would be interesting to compare the racial attitudes of doctors who trained in areas with a high percentage of poor blacks, versus doctors who trained in areas with high percentages of poor whites.
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Blame yourself!
...Oooooor is it possible that the racial bias of American doctors is a result of the almost CONSTANT (read: every day) discussion of race?
There isn't that much of a difference between the races. There are physical differences, sure. But you could easily go on and on about the unequal treatment afforded people with large noses.
Here's a study: how much money was poured into research about race last year? How much money was poured into research about poverty? Which - in terms of real actual resulting problems - is more serious? If you say "race", you're basically an idiot.
You are going to find problems if you look for them. Can you be sure that your article didn't just make the problem a little worse?
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Where doctors went to school
The theory about Doctors going to school in inner cities may have something to it, but most of the doctors in my state went to medical schools overseas.
There may be communication problems because most doctors speak accented English, and most African Americans in my state speak in a dialect that slurs many words and can be difficult to understand.
A large proportion of African Americans are overweight, which leads to many other health problems. I don't think this is really due to lack of knowledge about diet and exercise, but related to other cultural factors.
For example there are many single parent families where the mother is working long and may not have time to prepare proper meals, leading to excessive dependence on meals purchased from fast-food places.
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Suit Yourself
I can only wish I could refuse "health care" and it's Big Pharma. Doctors and dentists have contempt for me and the feeling is mutual. As for the BILLS? That goes double for me; I don't pay protection money to Insurance, so it comes out of my pocket.
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Standardized care leads to some falling through cracks
The goal to standardize care is admirable. However, I've found it leads to "cookie cutter" medicine. Patients who don't fit neat molds are not dealt with well by such a system. My whole family has had experiences like this and they left my dad with a permanent disability because his condition presented atypically and was not caught for 10 years.
Wouldn't it be better to just train doctors about racial sensitivity, discipline those who won't go along, and work to see that doctors have the proper time to make good decisions? Using "peer pressure" among doctors to shut down such behaviors (instead of just looking the other way) would be a lot better than making cookie-cutter templates that a significant minority of patients will not fit well with, with poor treatment outcomes as a result.
I realize these suggestions are a lot harder, but they would be much more productive.
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Disturbing issue that has been boiled down to idiocy by inane comments
Everyone says they don't want expensive health care and those without it should be happy they don't have to deal with myriad health care system.
Until they need it. Then they're awfully glad to have it.
The truth of the matter is if this were happening to any other group in this country, besides African Americans, it would be a crime and on the top of this country's health care agenda.
And no offense, highland girl, but don't think this is only a black female problem. Go to any college health center waiting room and watch the difference in how white and black males are treated. They basically just throw condoms at the black males and then ask young white men: well what do you need? Are you sick? What's wrong? And I mean that's even if you go in for a cold or the flu.
Blame yourself is beyond insulting and stupid jaketwice. It's the medical profession's job and sworn oath to give equal treatment. If they're not on the basis of skin color that's horrific. I don't care if it's because of pre-conceived notions they have or previous experience. It's still monsterous and people suffer because of it.
This actually feeds into another symptom our society (sometimes) has and never wants to discuss: Forgive the white professionals. Sure they might have made a mistake, but really they were trying their best so we can't blame them now can we? Maybe you're missing crucial health care, but, hey, that's life. No it's not. It's their job, they should do it. And racism is a crappy reason NOT to be doing it.