FACTS ABOUT RACIAL DISPARITIES AND PATIENT SAFETY

• The death rate of African American women who are pregnant is higher than white women regardless of education level. https://blackdoctor.org/517210/pregnancy-childbirth-are-killing-black-women-heres-why/

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• The breast cancer death rate is 40% higher for African American women.
https://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/DisparitiesInBreastCancerScreening.html

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• Overall, doctors spend less time with African American patients.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3320738/

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• African American people are given less pain medication.                           

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2016/04/04/do-blacks-feel-less-pain-than-whites-their-doctors-may-think-so/?utm_term=.f3e025e8c69d

 

• There is extensive evidence and research that finds unconscious biases can lead to
differential treatment of patients by race, gender, weight, age, language, income and
insurance status. https://www.jointcommission.org/resources/news-and-multimedia/newsletters/newsletters/quick-safety/quick-safety-issue-23-implicit-bias-in-health-care/implicit-bias-in-health-care/

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• New York City hospitals that mainly serve African-American expectant mothers have
severe complication rates two-and-a-half times higher than those that mainly serve white
mothers, even after you factor in patient complexities.
http://www.ajog.org/article/S0002-9378%2816%2930202-2/fulltext?rss=yes

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Pulse Center for Patient Safety Education and Advocacy (CPSEA) is dedicated to raising awareness about patient safety through education, advocacy, and support.

We envision a world in which the patient's voice is heard and no one is harmed by healthcare.