For most people, going to the doctor's office requires some preparation. You might even get some internal pep talk in case you're told to exercise more or calm your smoldering fear of needles.
But do we dress well to avoid being treated unfairly, or are we prepared to be insulted?
a Newly released public opinion poll by KFFAccording to the Health Policy Research Group, many patients of color (including 3 in 5 Black respondents) take such steps at least some of the time when visiting their doctor. found.
According to the survey, 55% of black respondents said they felt they needed to pay close attention to their appearance in order to receive fair treatment during medical appointments. This is similar to the rate for Hispanic and Alaska Native patients and nearly double the rate for white patients.
Almost 30% of black respondents said they were prepared to be humiliated, which is also about twice as high as white patients.
“It's very tiring,” survey respondent Christine Wright, 60, told The Associated Press.
Wright, who is Black, said she has faced years of discrimination, including racial slurs hurled at her by nurses. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and recently found a doctor she trusts. But she still always dresses nicely to her doctor's appointments, wears jewelry, a nice coat, and does her hair.
She braces herself for the looks and comments from doctors and staff. “They don't control you,” she tells herself. It doesn't matter what they say about you. Because you're not. ”
More than 90% of those surveyed said they had not experienced unfair or derogatory treatment in a medical setting in the past three years because of their racial or ethnic background, but their expectations of unequal treatment That can affect interactions between patients and doctors and specialists. It is of particular concern that Huge disparities in health outcomes by race in the united states
“This study shows that racism and discrimination continue to impact people's health care experiences,” said KFF President Drew Altman.
Dr. Alison Bryant, an obstetrician at Massachusetts General Hospital who was not involved in the study, said the study had important results, although not necessarily surprising.
Bryant, who also serves as her hospital system's deputy chief health equity officer, said she hears similar stories from patients of color, and it shows up in the system's own patient satisfaction data. And she says that as a black woman, she has lived that experience herself and has made sure her ID and her wedding ring are visible to avoid assumptions from others. are re-checked frequently.
“I think everyone goes through it to some degree,” Bryant said. “But I understand why it's even more exaggerated when it comes to people of color who have a tradition of not being treated well.”
Bryant said this behavior is indicative of a deeper problem and can impact important interactions between doctors and patients.
Anticipating that someone might treat you badly can make you more nervous and less likely to speak properly, she said. “This involves a deeper harm that goes beyond what appears on the surface, like 'wearing high heels and putting on lipstick.'”
Jamie Luna Roldan, 45, also participated in the study. She believes that she did not previously have health insurance or that her English was imperfect, which contributed to her bad experience with the doctor. She spoke to The Associated Press in Spanish.
“In my case, I'm Latina,” said Roldan, of Lake Worth, Florida. “So when I have an appointment, I have to put on earrings, put on makeup, and dress up a little bit so that people don't see me wearing my work clothes. 'Como Te Milo, There is a saying, 'te torat.'
This means “to be treated as it appears.”
Despite the high proportion of people who say they are prepared to be humiliated or feel that their appearance affects how they are treated at the doctor, 93% of people do not care about their racial or ethnic background. In the past three years, respondents said they had never felt treated unfairly or disrespectfully in a medical setting.
However, there remained significant differences between racial groups. Asians and Hispanics were three times as likely as white respondents to say they had been treated poorly in a medical setting because of their race, and black respondents were six times as likely.
Outside of the doctor's office, 58% of American Indians and Alaska Natives, 54% of Black respondents, 50% of Hispanic respondents, and 42% of Asian respondents reported experiencing at least one type of discrimination in their daily lives. Years in which respondents said they had experienced it at least several times in the past. This includes receiving poor service at a store or restaurant, being intimidated, harassed, treated like less than smart, or criticized for speaking a language other than English.
This shows that healthcare is just one environment where discrimination persists, but being treated disrespectfully at a car dealership or being referred at a department store poses a different kind of risk. Bryant said. Negative cardiologists who do not order appropriate tests because the patient “doesn't see the part” are potentially more dangerous.
“The implications in healthcare are truly staggering and, honestly, it's quite scary to realize what people need to do to be taken seriously and seen as whole people.” she said. “I think these data speak for themselves.”
