Health Care Has a Discrimination Problem

More than half of healthcare workers say racial discrimination against patients is a major problem or crisis, while nearly half report seeing it happen in their own workplaces, according to a large national survey. Why it matters: It’s well-documented how racism in health care settings can harm patients’ health. But witnessing it can also hurt health care workers’ wellbeing. By the numbers: Black and Latino health care workers were more likely to report seeing racial or ethnic discrimination against patients compared with Asian American and Pacific Islander and white workers. There’s also a generational divide: 64% of health care workers ages 18 to 29 said they’ve seen patients face discrimination, compared with 25% of workers 60 and older. Nearly half of healthcare workers (48%) said medical professionals are more accepting when white patients advocate for themselves than when Black patients do the same. Healthcare systems should make it easier for workers and patients to submit anonymous reports, train staff to recognize unfair treatment, and introduce more opportunities to listen to patients and workers of color, the report said. Click here to read more.

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