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Patients of color more often brace for unfair treatment in health care, survey finds

apnews.com Patients of color more often brace for unfair treatment in health care, survey finds

A new survey shows 55% of Black patients said they feel like they must be very careful about their appearance to be treated fairly at medical visits.

Patients of color more often brace for unfair treatment in health care, survey finds

A trip to the doctor’s office comes with a bit of preparation for most, maybe even an internal pep talk to prepare for being told to get more exercise or calm a simmering fear of needles.

But dressing well in hopes of warding off unfair treatment – or even bracing for being insulted?

A newly released poll by KFF, a health policy research group, found many patients of color — including 3 in 5 Black respondents — take such steps at least some of the time when seeing a doctor.

The poll found that 55% of Black respondents said they feel like they must be very careful about their appearance to be treated fairly at medical visits. That’s similar to the rate for Hispanic and Alaska Native patients – and nearly double the rate for white patients.

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  • Yes, my husband has dark skin, and I'm pasty white, and we've noticed this. He used to have frequent seizures, and every trip to the ER involved being grilled repeatedly about "what drugs was he on?" And he's noticed that doctors are much less likely to prescribe things like painkillers to him than they are to me.

    And the worst part? I'm sure none of these healthcare workers think they're being racist at all. It's all played out at a subconscious level. Racism is so baked into society that most people who are being racist don't even realize they're being racist. It's a hard problem to tackle because when you try to raise the conversation, people become defensive and think you're saying they're bad people.

    I mean, I'm not saying this from three feet above the ground -- I'm sure I could use some self-reflection, too.

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