The Atlantic: 5 Ways the Health-Care System Can Stop Amplifying Racism

By Risa Lavizzo-Mourey and Ezekiel J. Emanuel for The Atlantic In recent months, the health disparities among Americans are more apparent than ever. But, it is not the coronavirus pandemic that created the disparaties. Rather, the pandemic has exposed the problem even more. Black and Latino patients are two to three times as likely as white patients to be diagnosed with COVID-19, and more than four times as likely to be hospitalized for it. Black patients are more than twice as likely to die from the virus. They also die from it at younger ages. COVID-19 has exacerbated long-standing trends: Black and Latino Americans have lower rates of insurance coverage, a higher prevalence of chronic diseases, worse health outcomes, and a lower life expectancy. People in the health-care world sometimes speak of these patterns as if they are inevitable facts of life—something the industry is powerless to change. More doctors and hospitals need to acknowledge and address how the U.S. health-care system is rife with structural racism. For decades, American medicine has discriminated against people of color. From having Medicaid pay to doctors and physicians more, to having a medical education and curriculum that addresses implicit biases, there are several ways that can address America’s health disparities. While they may not completely cure America’s health disparities, they outline a course of action for reducing racial bias in health care, increasing access to care, and having residents with fewer chronic conditions. Read more at The Atlantic.