The Effect of Implicit Racial Biases in Health Care
Author: Elena Riederer von Paar
There are many Americans who are currently living with a neurological illness. It affects about 14% of this country's households, so why are some individuals and communities still not getting adequate health care and support? Studies have found that racial minority groups receive diagnoses slower than their white counterparts. Oftentimes their health complaints are seen as just complaints where no action is necessary. Even when the neurological illness is recognized it is far less likely for people of color (POC) to receive the necessary treatments. It has been found that black patients are about 40% less likely to see a neurologist than white patients. These patients are also more likely to be discharged from hospital care with poorer functions than white patients being treated for the same illness.
Various reasons for the lack of treatment POC receive has been suggested. Due to historically embedded racism in the healthcare system many families may distrust the system or have other cultural beliefs about disease. This embedded racism has also led to a pattern of postponed treatment times. Studies have found that when patients of color are admitted to the hospital for neurological care, such as for stroke care, their treatment is delayed. Treatment for white patients is prioritized. However, rates of strokes are higher in people of color, a statistic that we have been aware of for decades.
Doctors and other healthcare workers may not be consciously aware of how their beliefs impact their work and patients but their implicit racial biases have serious effects on minority communities. Another way in which people of color are impacted by biases in healthcare is reflected in expenses. Black patients are more likely to be cared for in the emergency room and have more hospital stays which increases their hospital bills. People of color often have to pay more than their white counterparts for the same treatments. Patterns such as these make healthcare all the more inaccessible.
It is important to consider these inequalities and to recognize why they are occurring. This is why organizations like REGARDS (REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke) are so important. This group is trying to identify why black individuals are more likely to suffer from strokes than white individuals. In order to fight healthcare disparity we need to understand all of the aspects of neurological diseases. Onced we are able to identify the source of the issue, we can start fighting for better treatment and healthcare for minority communities and people of color.
Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5567325/
https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/laneur/PIIS1474-4422(20)30211-8.pdf