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HSB Writeup

The document discusses social injustices in healthcare, specifically how Black patients are often overlooked and stereotyped. Studies have shown that many medical students believe myths that Black people feel less pain or have thicker skin. This can result in Black patients not receiving adequate pain treatment compared to white patients, showing inequities in healthcare.

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52 views2 pages

HSB Writeup

The document discusses social injustices in healthcare, specifically how Black patients are often overlooked and stereotyped. Studies have shown that many medical students believe myths that Black people feel less pain or have thicker skin. This can result in Black patients not receiving adequate pain treatment compared to white patients, showing inequities in healthcare.

Uploaded by

api-550790092
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Remay‌‌Berhane‌ 

Mrs.‌‌Heyne‌  ‌

HSB‌‌II‌‌-‌‌Period‌‌5‌  ‌

01‌‌June‌‌2021‌  ‌

Social‌‌Injustices‌‌and‌‌Healthcare‌  ‌

Social‌‌justice,‌‌as‌‌pertaining‌‌to‌‌healthcare,‌‌is‌‌the‌‌thought‌‌that‌‌everyone‌‌deserves‌‌
 

equal‌‌rights;‌‌and‌‌that‌‌includes‌‌the‌‌right‌‌to‌‌good‌‌health‌‌and‌‌healthcare.‌‌Social‌‌injustices‌‌
 

can‌‌happen‌‌anywhere,‌‌but‌‌they‌‌are‌‌often‌‌not‌‌talked‌‌about‌‌in‌‌the‌‌medical‌‌field.‌‌Social‌‌
 

injustices‌‌don’t‌‌have‌‌to‌‌happen‌‌directly‌‌in‌‌the‌‌medical‌‌field‌‌for‌‌them‌‌to‌‌impact‌‌public‌‌
 

health.‌‌These‌‌social‌‌justices‌‌and‌‌injustices‌‌can‌‌range‌‌from‌‌abortion‌‌rights‌‌to‌‌death‌‌in‌ 

childbirth.‌‌Although‌‌there‌‌is‌‌a‌‌wide‌‌range‌‌of‌‌topics‌‌to‌‌talk‌‌about,‌‌I‌‌will‌‌be‌‌talking‌‌about‌‌
 

how‌‌Black‌‌people’s‌‌health‌‌is‌‌usually‌‌overlooked‌‌and‌‌undermined.‌‌There‌‌are‌‌many‌‌
 

deep-rooted‌‌ideologies‌‌about‌‌black‌‌women,‌‌or‌‌black‌‌people’s‌‌pain‌‌tolerance‌‌in‌‌the‌‌field‌‌
 

of‌‌healthcare.‌‌These‌‌stereotypes‌‌can‌‌be‌‌very‌‌harmful,‌‌and‌‌can‌‌even‌‌lead‌‌to‌‌death.‌‌For‌‌
 

example,‌‌a‌‌study‌‌held‌‌in‌‌2016‌‌by‌‌Proceedings‌‌of‌‌National‌‌Academies‌‌of‌‌Science,‌‌
 

shows‌‌that‌‌40%‌‌of‌‌first-‌‌and‌‌second-year‌‌medical‌‌students‌‌endorsed‌‌the‌‌belief‌‌that‌‌
 

“black‌‌people’s‌‌skin‌‌is‌‌thicker‌‌than‌‌white‌‌people’s”,‌‌“Black‌‌people’s‌‌nerve‌‌endings‌‌are‌‌
 

less‌‌sensitive‌‌than‌‌white‌‌people’s.”‌‌This‌‌results‌‌in‌‌a‌‌situation‌‌where‌‌a‌‌Black‌‌patient‌‌
 

wouldn’t‌‌get‌‌any‌‌painkillers‌‌or‌‌medicine,‌‌but‌‌their‌‌white‌‌counterpart‌‌would.‌‌This‌‌is‌‌
 

shown‌‌in‌‌“a‌‌meta-analysis‌‌of‌‌20‌‌years‌‌of‌‌studies‌‌‌covering‌‌many‌‌sources‌‌of‌‌pain‌‌in‌‌
 

numerous‌‌settings‌‌that‌‌found‌‌that‌‌black/African‌‌American‌‌patients‌‌were‌‌22%‌‌less‌‌likely‌‌
 

than‌‌white‌‌patients‌‌to‌‌receive‌‌any‌‌pain‌‌medication.”‌‌There‌‌also‌‌may‌‌be‌‌implicit‌‌bias‌‌
 

favoring‌‌whites,‌‌which‌‌plays‌‌a‌‌role‌‌in‌‌this‌‌as‌‌well.‌‌While‌‌it‌‌may‌‌be‌‌unconscious,‌‌it‌‌still‌‌
 
harms‌‌people‌‌every‌‌day.‌‌This‌‌implicit‌‌bias‌‌is‌‌being‌‌combatted‌‌in‌‌many‌‌colleges.‌‌This‌‌is‌‌
 

just‌‌a‌‌small‌‌start,‌‌and‌‌although‌‌many‌‌changes‌‌have‌‌been‌‌made‌‌and‌‌discovered,‌‌there‌‌is‌‌
 

still‌‌a‌‌long‌‌way‌‌to‌‌go.‌  ‌

Source:‌‌Sabin,‌‌Janice.‌‌“How‌‌We‌‌Fail‌‌Black‌‌Patients‌‌in‌‌Pain.”‌‌AAMC‌,‌‌©‌‌2021‌‌AAMC,‌‌6 ‌‌

Jan.‌‌2021,‌‌www.aamc.org/news-insights/how-we-fail-black-patients-pain.‌  ‌

  ‌ ‌

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