race and racism in healthcare

Health Effects of Race and Racism in the United States
Connection between concepts of sex, gender, race, and their biological vs. societal definitions.
Goal: Show why race is a sociocultural phenomenon rather than a biological one and explore associated health effects.
Importance of class environment and respect for learning.

Students can step out as necessary, but cross conversations will not be tolerated.
Importance of collaborative respect and individual engagement during the session.

Describe the origins of the concept of race as sociocultural rather than biological.
Outline the history of racism in Western healthcare (limited overview due to time).
Demonstrate how residual effects of historical racism affect current healthcare practices and health outcomes for marginalized groups.
Identify strategies for healthcare professionals to mitigate racism's effects on patients.

Today's lecture discusses racism prevalence, specific healthcare examples, and health effects.
In-depth, challenging material that will be relevant for exams.

Race: Socially constructed partitions of people based on physical characteristics, rather than cultural background.
Racism: Prejudice and discrimination against individuals or communities based on their perceived racial or ethnic group membership.
Ancestry: Familial or ethnic descent.
Allele: Variations in genes that contribute to physical characteristics.

Speaker identifies as white with Danish ancestry, illustrating how racial categorization and the societal meaning ascribed to it varies.

Dr. Marion Sims: Known for developing gynecological surgery techniques using enslaved women without anesthesia based on false beliefs regarding pain sensitivity.
Tuskegee Syphilis Study: Unethical research observing untreated syphilis in black men, leading to loss of lives and trust in medical research.
Henrietta Lacks: Cells taken without consent for research that contributed to medical advancements; lack of compensation to her and her family.
Loretta Ross: An advocate impacted by racial injustices in reproductive healthcare, highlighting ongoing disparities.

Persistent myths causing unequal treatment in pain management and overall healthcare.
Studies show significant disparities in pain medication administration based on race, affecting children's healthcare.

Research links chronic stress from racism to poor health outcomes (e.g., preterm birth rates).
Example study of preterm births in different anthropological contexts illustrates the impact of societal conditions over genetics.
Recognition of chronic stress as a factor in maternal morbidity/mortality rates among black women.

Societal stereotypes regarding pain perception complicate treatment for black patients, seen in historical and contemporary settings.
The myth of ‘thicker skin’ leads to systematic mismanagement of pain.

Addressing implicit biases and systemic racism affects diagnosis and treatment practices.
Importance of understanding the patients' lived experiences and histories.
Standardization of treatment protocols could mitigate racial bias in emergency settings.

Encouragement to engage in discussions regarding racial disparities in care; ask questions constructively to promote understanding.
Educational approaches to in-group biases and personal reflection.

Shift from 'calling out' to 'calling in' to invite dialogue and growth in understanding racial issues in healthcare.
Overall goal: emphasize the lack of a genetic basis of race while acknowledging the real health impacts of systemic racism.
Self-education through implicit association tests and continual learning about biases encouraged.