Martha Hostetter and Sarah Klein. “In Focus: Reducing Racial Disparities in Health Care by Confronting Racism.” Commonwealth Fund, 27 Sept. 2018. www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/2018/sep/focus-reducing-racial-disparities-health-care-confronting

The Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that aims to promote a healthcare system that is efficient and effective for vulnerable groups, delves into various methods used to confront the racism behind most inequities in healthcare. In terms of treatment, a group of Greensboro community organizers in 2003 conducted research to see whether or not “customized supports could improve the experiences of black women” undergoing breast cancer treatments. Overall, black men and women were less likely to finish the treatment when compared to white patients “(81% of black patients completed treatment, compared with 87% of white patients)”. However, both black and white patients that received customized support had a higher chance of finishing the cancer treatment; the disparity between both ethnic groups was significantly lower. The study in Greensboro introduces a solution of “overcoming patients’ distrust” that goes beyond healthcare and health problems. It reaches into the lives of patients: their financial issues, transportation concerns, and other aspects of their lives that may be preventing them from receiving the care they need. This is especially important to the black community who face numerous systemic inequalities and are often disadvantaged economically. 

“Prioritizing Equity Video Series: Research and Data for Health Equity.” American Medical Association, 20 Nov. 2020. www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/health-equity/prioritizing-equity-video-series-research-and-data-health-equity. 

The Prioritizing Equity video series from the American Medical Association comprises three experts regarding inequities in healthcare. In this specific conversation, Nancy Kriger (professor of social epidemiology at Harvard) identifies how data regarding health equity plays a large role in the visibility of racism. She notes that there is a “lack of socioeconomic data” as well as general data in regards to COVID-19 and the ethnicities involved. The lack of data causes misunderstandings and a lack of knowledge about how African Americans are vulnerable to the pandemic itself due to pre-existing health disparities. Community groups have risen to the task of collecting data to better understand the groups that are at risk, why they are at risk, and how to solve these issues. Dr. Sewell, another panelist and an associate professor of sociology at Emory University, emphasizes the importance of viewing patients as stories or individuals with real problems and backgrounds instead of just a patient. Doctors must make an increased effort to better accommodate individuals with disadvantages, which is particularly applicable to the black community. The panel also discusses the Sinai Community Health Survey in Chicago, which aims to address health disparities within the city. They stress data collection that engages the community in order to provide a narrative that was consistent and truly representative. The Survey also prioritizes their dissemination, “not to a peer-reviewed audience but to communities” using infographics and other media to spread the word about health inequalities. 

Russell, Tonya. “Racism in Care Leads to Health Disparities, Doctors and Other Experts Say as They Push for Change.” The Washington Post, WP Company, 11 July 2020. www.washingtonpost.com/health/racism-in-care-leads-to-health-disparities-doctors-and-other-experts-say-as-they-push-for-change/2020/07/10/a1a1e40a-bb9e-11ea-80b9-40ece9a701dc_story.html. 

This article by Tonya Russell of the Washington Post provides insight to the recent protests over the murders of black Americans due to police brutality and ties it to the emerging flaws of racism in healthcare. Healthcare professionals note that Black Americans often “die younger than white Americans” (Russell) and are more at risk for disease. Optometrist Tina Douroudian states that many of her diabetic black patients have not seen a registered dietitian despite an overwhelming majority of her white patients having seen one. The information and access to further steps to treatment is often withheld from black patients; many doctors recommend self-advocacy to combat the inequity in care. Black women are also 3x as likely than white women to “die of child-birth related causes” (Russell). These higher mortality rates, as well as other health disparities, come from the lack of knowledge of what systemic inequalities lead to said disparities. Natalia DiCenzo, an OB/GYN, notes that proper representation and equity for black Americans in health care begins with “being an outspoken advocate for black patients and reproductive justice” (Russell). It is also noted that the states with stricter abortion laws have higher pregnancy-related mortality and are far more harmful to black women with their higher mortality rates overall. Patients who do not have access to quality health care may not trust doctors, leading to a cycle of hurt and negative effects on minorities.

Taylor, Jamila. “Racism, Inequality, and Health Care for African Americans.” The Century Foundation, 7 May 2020. tcf.org/content/report/racism-inequality-health-care-african-americans/. 

The Century Foundation, an independent think tank that seeks out racial, gender, and economic equity in education, work, and healthcare, produced a report regarding the inequality within healthcare for Black Americans. The piece, written by Jamila Taylor (Director of Health Care Reform), discusses the factors behind why African Americans have higher rates of illness and mortality compared to other ethnic groups. A large part of this is due to them being “one of the most economically disadvantaged demographics in this country” (Taylor). It also addresses the systemic challenges the Black community faces in regards to healthcare such as residential segregation, poverty, and lack of “safe and affordable” (Taylor) housing. The report details that many of the solutions being pursued by modern advocates appear in the form of reform proposals and policy changes. Several politicians have championed different types of healthcare plans. The first and most prominent of these reforms is Medicare for All, a single-payer system championed by Senator Bernie Sanders. Medicare for All aims for a federal program that provides benefits to all U.S. residents, seeking to replace “all private insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program” (Taylor). This plan intends to be paid by taxes, eliminating premiums, cost-sharing, and out-of-pocket fees. Medicare for All includes “transportation to health care appointments for people with disabilities and low-income people” (Taylor) in order to ensure that the healthcare it provides is accessible to all that receive it. The second reform, public option plans, is backed by Joe Biden and has many versions of said plan. The “Biden plan” aims to keep essential parts of the ACA and add “protections for people with pre-existing conditions, premium subsidies, and Medicaid expansion” (Taylor). It also includes lower prices for prescription drugs, tax credits to help middle to low-class families to pay for health insurance, and eliminate balanced billing. The plan would be financed by taxes on the rich.

Willoughby, Christopher. “How Black Activists Sought Healthcare Reform: A New Documentary.” AAIHS, 16 Sept. 2019. www.aaihs.org/how-black-activists-sought-healthcare-reform-a-new-documentary/. 

Black Perspectives, the official blog of the African American Intellectual History Society, is composed of scholars to advance the lives of those of African descent. Christopher Willoughby, a historian of medicine, writes about a more recent form of advocacy: film and documentary. He discusses the PBS documentary, Power to Heal: Medicare and the Civil Rights Revolution, which addresses the need to expand Medicare coverage to better provide for vulnerable groups. The documentary details how the Civil Rights Movement made some reforms to the healthcare system as well as includes the opinions of healthcare experts and activists such as Dorothy Ferebe and Dr. George Simkins. The film targets “the desegregation of southern hospitals” and healthcare in the south, which has been slow to reduce racism.