Doctors Can Fight Unconscious Racial Bias
A simple checklist would remind physicians to treat patients of all races equitably.
African-American patients should get good care from white doctors, too.
Photographer: Greg Smith/Corbis/Getty Images
I am a first generation immigrant from West Africa. Growing up there, and in Europe and North America, I observed the many ways in which race influences identity, opportunity and social interactions. I am also a primary-care and public-health physician. Ever since I was a medical resident, I’ve noticed time and time again how my African-American patients seem more comfortable sharing sensitive information with me than with my white colleagues.
I’ve also noticed that these patients do not always get the same level of attention or care as white patients do. This apparent disconnect between my medical colleagues and many of our ethnic minority patients is what led me to devote my career to studying how race influences health care.