Posted on 06/10/2008 9:30:30 AM PDT by flowerplough
As researchers ponder growing evidence that blacks have worse outcomes than whites in the treatment of chronic disease, they often theorize that members of minorities suffer disproportionately from poor access to quality care. Now a new study of diabetes patients has found stark racial disparities even among patients treated by the same doctors.
The lead author of the study said in an interview that he attributed the differences less to overt racism than to a systemic failure to tailor treatments to patients’ cultural norms. The problem, said the author, Dr. Thomas D. Sequist, an assistant professor of health care policy at Harvard Medical School, may be that physicians do not discriminate in the way they counsel patients.
“It isn’t that providers are doing different things for different patients,” Dr. Sequist said. “It’s that we’re doing the same thing for every patient and not accounting for individual needs. Our one-size-fits-all approach may leave minority patients with needs that aren’t being met.”
For instance, he said, counseling black or Latino patients with diabetes to lower their carbohydrate intake by cutting rice from their diets may not be a realistic strategy if rice is a family staple.
“We may be listing fruits and vegetables that are part of one person’s culture but not another,” Dr. Sequist said. “We’re not really giving them information they can use.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
And, Lord knows, there's no way any disproportionately-suffering minority type individual will ever be able to get any usable info whatsoever without the (white) doctor's treatments tailored to the minority patients’ cultural norms. Of course, if the doctor is from the minority group, as many of mine have been for decades, white patients will, of course, surely be able to adapt on their own, hayna? Or no?
“a systemic failure to tailor treatments to patients’ cultural norms”
When you are suggested to change your diet for your health, you reject the advice at your own peril.
I remembered some black friends of mine in college who had medical problems... they overwhelmingly went to black doctors, who were in general - worse than white doctors and butchered them time after time.
If you choose doctors who got into med school due to some quota, and he would not have qualified otherwise, well... just don’t expect outstanding medical care and/or advice.
“We may be listing fruits and vegetables that are part of one person’s culture but not another,”
Brown rice wasn’t part of 20th century American culture either but it is recommended as being healthier.
Much of the “suggested” diet food, whether it is rice cakes or tofu, are not part of “American culture”.
CHANGE.
Well, duh.
It's behavior.
Cities in America were different places before blacks moved in in large numbers.
Harlem was built as luxury housing during a long-forgotten real estate bubble - many of those Harlem 'slums' are actually high-ceilinged, sumptuous mansions with fireplaces throughout. When the bubble burst and there were no buyers the owners/speculators/investors decided to rent to minorities as a temporary measure. The rest is history.
They proceeded to destroy what was upscale housing stock and create a ghetto that they later blamed on whitey.
Schools experience a similar destruction when the population is overwhelmingly black.
Why should medical care somehow be different?
“We’re not really giving them information they can use.”
Maybe they’re getting good info and not putting it to use. Diabetes is a self-management condition. The doctor is the coach and calls the plays but the player must execute them properly. While a lot of docs are way behind the curve in diabetes managment, the differences in this study are probably inate to the patient and not the physician.
Blacks don’t eat fruit? Gee, there’s some guy out there claiming that Obama was eating fruit in the back of a limo. At least that’s what I think he said...
Sounds more like a plain old J. O.
I’d hate to be the doctor who had to tell a black patient, that he or she needs to lay off foods like fried chicken and watermelon !
People who are not completely literate, and / or who have more difficulty listening to and following instructions, WILL do a less competent job of carrying out medical instructions and taking medicine. Therefore, diabetics (who require lifelong, personal, daily care) WILL do better if they are white than if they are black.
Unless this study controlled for the education and competence levels of the various patients, it is worthless. However, it had one value. It allowed the NY Times to bury its head in the sand, one more time.
Congressman Billybob
Now, let us understand the underlying narrative. The white capitalist system, by its very nature, oppresses minorities. Those who belong to the white capitalist system -- in this case, doctors (including minorities who have "sold out" to middle-classness) -- may protest that they do not discriminate, but the absence of intent to discriminate is actually hidden discrimation.
But don't worry: in the perfect world of hope and change to come, we will survive since, without us, there would be no one to blame, or pay the bills.
White doctor’s?
Are THEY still around?(sarc)
So it is discrimination because the patient rejects the doctors advice.
You hit on it.
There is an American culture. It is the norm.
If you’re suffering due to your “cultural norms”, change your culture.
“For instance, he said, counseling black or Latino patients with diabetes to lower their carbohydrate intake by cutting rice from their diets may not be a realistic strategy if rice is a family staple.”
leave it to the Times to publish this kind of crap.
This issue needs a lot more study, many conferences, and a lot more grant money.
FReepmail me if you want on or off the diabetes list.
ping
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