Many Patients of Color Expect and Prepare for Unfair Health Care

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 6, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Minorities often feel a deep sense of dread before doctor appointments, and some even try to dress especially well for their visit to try and ward off the possibility they will face insults or unfair care. According to a new poll conducted by health policy research group KFF, three in five Black respondents prepare this way for a medical visit.

"It's exhausting," survey respondent Christine Wright told the Associated Press. The 60-year-old Black woman said she has faced years of discrimination, including a racial slur once from a nurse. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, she finally found a doctor she trusts. But she noted she still makes sure to dress well for any medical appointments, putting on jewelry, a nice coat, and making sure her hair is done.

She is not the only minority patient to feel this way. The poll revealed 55 percent of Black respondents said they believe they must be careful about their appearance to get fair treatment in doctors' offices. That is similar to the rate for Hispanic and Alaska Native patients -- and nearly double the rate for White patients, the poll showed.

Meanwhile, nearly 30 percent of Black respondents said they prepare to be insulted, also about double the rate for White patients. The survey was conducted June 6 to Aug. 14 online and by telephone among a nationally representative sample of 6,292 U.S. adults.

"While there have been efforts in health care for decades to document disparities and advance health equity, this survey shows the impact racism and discrimination continue to have on people's health care experiences," KFF President and CEO Drew Altman said in a news release announcing the survey results. "And people in the survey reported that racism and discrimination have affected not only the care they get, but also their health and well-being."

Even though high numbers of minorities polled said they prepare for insults or feel their appearance can influence how they are treated at the doctor, 93 percent said they have not been treated unfairly or with disrespect in a health care setting because of their race or ethnic background in the past three years.

But there were still wide differences seen among racial groups. Asians and Hispanics were three times more likely to say they have been treated badly in a health care setting because of their race than White respondents, while Black respondents were six times more likely.

Associated Press Article