According to ourexclusive survey, one in three Black Americans report having experienced racism while seeking medical care.
According to aVerywell survey, one in three Black Americans have experienced racism while navigating the U.S. healthcare system.
Racism damages the Black health experience by influencing the entire health journey.
Verywell / Photo Illustration by Julie Bang
Here’s what they had to say.
Separate Fact from Fiction
A key step in reducing health inequities is to tailor patient communication appropriately.
When discussing racism broadly, the facts and figures used can skew ones perception of the reality.
For instance, contrary to popular belief, Black Americans go to the doctor as often as White Americans.
Shamard Charles, MD, MPH
[Patients] are trusting you to be their encyclopedia.
They are trusting you to be better than Google.
What are the true facts regionally?
Is this something thats impacting the nation?
Is this something thats impacting the city?
Your words, the facts that you use, the statements that you makethey matter, Charles said.
If you dont think it matters, it shows a complete lack of respect for your patient.
The patient will go back home and spew the same facts to their family members.
They are trusting you to be their encyclopedia.
They are trusting you to be better than Google.
[Higher rates] have happened over decades because of things like systematic racism.
Being diagnosed with HIV is traumatic in and of itself for many people.
Unfortunately, most physicians do not get that right.
There’s a lot of stigma around it, Elopre said.
They’re seeking me out because they are feeling some racism.
Schooling and training send messages to providers that can influence how they respond to patients.
Textbooks don’t have pictures of common skin things like atopic dermatitis or psoriasis in skin of color.
That’s a huge issue.
This includes trusting patients to advocate for their needs.
We need to trust our patients, Charles said.
We need to ask them questions.
We need to have them repeat back what we said to them.
Improving representation in the healthcare workforce depends on bolstering diversity in medical education.
Woolery-Lloyd added that financial resources are crucial for medical education access.
Those days are long gone.
We are at the place of policy, Charles said.
When asked about his optimism for the future, Charles said hes with Gen Z.
The panelists say movements to tackle racism in both spaces go hand in hand.
And while such broad change will be challenging to realize, its a key and urgent goal.
I think as society moves forward, healthcare inequities and disparities will improve, Elopre said.
We’re kind of at a reckoning as a society.
N Engl J Med.
(2021) 384:1661-1668.
