Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities Term Paper

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Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities

in Health Care

The recent report of the Institute of Medicine, Unequal Treatment: Confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care (2002 Smedley et. al.), indicates that bias, stereotyping, and prejudice may often contribute to the quality of health care that is provided to non-white patients. For anyone entering into the field of health care, this information is beneficial because it uncovers many of the reasons why some patients receive inadequate health care that can lead to future prevention of this problem.

The vast majority of studies reviewed concluded that minorities are less likely to get the same treatment as whites, including necessary procedures. The studies also suggested that patient attitudes cannot explain completely why disparities exist in health care. Clearly, race has become as issue in the health care industry. The report brings to light the depth of the problem when it comes to the disparities in health care for African-Americans and other ethnic minorities.

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The report, commissioned by Congress, reviewed the literature, commissioned papers, and gathered information that resulted in two major findings. First, "Racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare occur in the context of broader historic and contemporary social and economic inequality, and evidence of persistent racial and ethnic discrimination in many sectors of American life" (123). Secondly, bias, stereotyping, prejudice, and clinical uncertainty on the part of health care providers may contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in health care. In addition, the report indicated "patients might also react to providers' behavior associated with these practices in a way that contributes to disparities" (161).

The data collected suggested that one set of factors that might be responsible is the operation of the health care system itself, which include language barriers (87). Another set of factors is the clinical encounter itself. This involves a direct relation to bias and prejudice among providers (160). In fact, the report stated that "physicians use clusters of information in making.....

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