The overall problem discussed in the blog posts is racism in the field of medicine in medical training and practice. Apparently, racism manifests in medicine unintended and implicitly due to conformist ideologies. Racial bias in the medical field is mostly pro-white and anti-black. Studies show that medical treatments, recruitment of students in medical schools and overall health care are prejudiced against blacks. Black physicians occupy a marginalized position in medical professions, and white doctors exhibit a lack of knowledge in their racial perceptions in thought and practice. According to the blog posts, racial bias is prevalent in medicine to a significant level, and it’s often due to type casts on black color people. Practitioners are not consciously aware of their white preference practices and as a result, do not meet their ethical obligation to treat all patients equally. Racism exists in medicine for various reasons raising a need to overcome the capacities of racism in medicine to achieve the medical objective of the society and a whole without bias.
Reason for the existence of the problem
The problem of racism in medicine in the United States has been in existed since conventional ties. The problem is still in presence for various reasons. For one, practitioners have no idea of its existence in the first place or how to deal with it. That is racism in medicine is not taught in medical school to give insight or make practitioners conscious of its existence. Racism within medicine is implicit which means it happens obliviously due to traditional label bestowed on black color people. Therefore, health care providers need training on its existence for awareness and necessary training to deal with all type of patients without stereotyping. Secondly, the problem exists due to the low ratio of black practitioners and an increasingly bias on white recruitment and retention in the field of medicine. Studies have shown that white doctors exhibit a pro-white treatment bias unconsciously while black doctors exhibit no preference on any particular group (Kareem, 2017). Black practitioners are however few and as such also demonstrate the extent of racism in the field. With ore prejudiced anti-black medical care providers, racism is bound to exist.
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Action plans, justification and how to implement.
There is a need to dismantle racism in health care providers to achieve the objectives of equal health care for all. Some actions can be implemented to overcome the issues of racism in health care. The first action that should be taken is the institution of change teams to lead in the activities of ending racism. The change tea includes leaders in the medical profession fro from all departments and all races to advocate for racial diversity. A multiracial change tea will ensure that programs and activities taken to end racism are put into action efficiently without prejudice. The second action is to develop a framework defining and clarifying what amounts to racism in the medical profession. As discussed, racism in medicine is often oblivious and hence the need to define what racism to make physicians more alert in their practices.
The third action to eliminate racial bias in health care practice is education on racism in the field; it's prevalent and the need to remove it. Training will aid in enabling already working in the area to shift from racial tendencies in practice. Education involves holding programs and sessions to educate staff on racism, how it manifest in their training and the need to stay keen on racial aspects of patient care. The fourth action is to increase opportunities for black medical professions by enrolling more people of color for medicine-related programs. Research has shown that black physicians do not exhibit any racial preference hence having more black professionals will aid in eliminating pro-white medical practices. Increase in black practitioners will also allow for cultural diversity and relationships enabling white and black doctors to interact and get rid of stereotype perceptions making white doctors ore anti-black or pro-white in practice (Griffith et al., 2007). Another action towards eradication of racism in medical practice is a personal analysis of practitioner to identify individual biases to race and control their manifestation in practice. Physicians need to scrutinize the selves and gain conscious on their racial guided decisions and practices and from that develop a conscious of looking out for their manifestations and controlling them (Tello, 2017).
In conclusion, racism has existed in medicine since historical times. Sadly it continues to prevail in the contemporary medical practice due to its unconscious nature in practice. Physicians are unaware of its existence yet educational and institutional frameworks do not provide the enlightenment on racial matters. There is, therefore, a need to take action in medical practice and institutions to eliminate racism and offer equal health care to all.
References
Griffith, D. M., Mason, M., Yonas, M., Eng, E., Jeffries, V., Plihcik, S., & Parks, B. (2007). Dismantling institutional racism: Theory and action. American Journal of Community Psychology, 39 (3-4), 381-392. doi: 10 .1007/s10464-007-9117-0
Kareem, N. (2017). Why is racism in health care still a problem today? ThoughtCo.com . Retrieved on 16 April 2018 from https://www.thoughtco.com/racism-in-health-care-still-a-problem-2834530.
Tello, M. (2017). Racism and discrimination in health care, providers, and patients. Harvard Health Publishing . Retrieved on 16 April 2018 from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/racism-discrimination-health-care-providers-patients-2017011611015.
