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Today, physicians are challenged to provide care to an increasingly diverse patient audience. Racial and minority groups now represent one- third of the American population. These groups bring with them their own cultural traits and health profiles. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, our nation’s racial and ethnic population is constantly changing. By the year 2050, an estimated one in two Americans will be African- American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Both providers and consumers bring their individual learned patterns of language and culture to health care, and must transcend those differences to achieve equal access and quality health care.
In March 2002, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published a report entitled Unequal Treatment: confronting Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Care, which documented the overwhelming evidence that African-Americans, Hispanics and other racial and ethnic minority groups are more likely to receive inferior health care than white Americans, even when insurance status, income, age and severity of conditions are comparable. The research also indicates minorities are less likely to receive even routine medical procedures. The report says a large body of research underscores the existence of disparities. For example, minorities are less likely to be given appropriate cardiac medications or undergo bypass surgery, and are less likely to receive kidney dialysis or transplants. By contrast, they are more likely to receive certain less-desirable procedures, such as lower limbamputations. IOM recommendations for reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health care include increasing awareness about disparities among the general public, health care providers, insurance companies and policy-makers.
Complicated inter-relationships between race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status may result in healthcare disparities. The National Healthcare Disparities Report (NHDR) is an annual report released by the Agency for Healthcare Research
and Quality (AHRQ). This report tracks disparities in both quality of health care and access to health care.
The 2006 NHDR finds disparities related to race, ethnicity and socioeconomic status still pervade the American health care system and are observed in almost all aspects of health care. Additionally, cultural awareness plays a significant role in caring for members of different ethnic or cultural backgrounds. Each ethnic and culture group has its own set of risk factors and prevalence for different health conditions. It is important to learn about these factors within each group in order to promote quality care, treatment and preventive services according to their cultural needs.
Education regarding culturally specific risk factors and prevalence for different health conditions is a first step in breaking down barriers to good care.
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