Study Suggests Culture, Not Racism May Be Cause Of Persistent Health Disparities
Much has been said about the ongoing health disparities between minority groups and whites. While some have attributed these differences to racism, new evidence indicates that disparities may be caused by equality rather than inequality.
A new study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine indicates that by treating all patients the same, physicians may be doing people from diverse backgrounds a disservice. Dr. Thomas Sequist, lead author of the study told the New York Times: “It isn’t that providers are doing different things for different patients, it’s that we’re doing the same thing for every patient and not accounting for individual needs. Our one-size-fits-all approach may leave minority patients with needs that aren’t being met.”
For example, telling a Hispanic or African American patient that they need to reduce their intake of carbohydrates may not be effective if rice is at the center of their diet.
While this study is interesting, it is not highlighting a new problem. For many years medical and public health officials have focused on the need for health providers to become culturally competent. Hopefully this study will accelerate cultural competency efforts by helping us get to the heart of racial and ethnic disparities in care.
