Racial/Ethnic-Related Disparities
The American dilemma is the conflict between the general American attitude towards race and our heritage of freedom and equality. Race is one of the major determinants of health outcome in America. Race was and is a social category that captures differential access to power and desirable resources in society. Fewer resources are available for minorities, which jeopardizes their quality of life. Race, racism, and discrimination are part of the American way of life in which a certain threshold of acceptance or tolerance exists for discriminatory treatment and behavior. Those identified as undeserving have learned to cope or adapt to perspicuous color lines.
From a historical perspective, socially constructed imagery attempts to degrade the existence of the African American culture. Within the era of scientific dominance, the expendable perception of African Americans has rationalized discriminatory treatment as fitting, proper without evil intent. Notable race-related injustices legitimize notions of those presumed deserving and undeserving of quality health care, extending the legacy of oppression (i.e., the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, which left black men, in particular very distrusting of the health care system). Medical exploitation was justified, and black people were over-utilized for medical demonstrations, risky surgeries, clinical trials and research experimentation. Dehumanizing practices (strategic marginalization) and constant exposure to medical inequalities represent both failure and ethical dilemmas in our current health system.
Various research studies have found discrepancies in the treatment and privilege of health care delivery. Minorities have poorer health outcomes than their Caucasian counterparts. More specifically, African Americans experience poorer health outcomes than any other racial or ethnic group in the United States. Hispanic Americans have the greatest inequality in the availability, use, and quality of health care provisions. The diversity of health needs among people of color and limited access to quality health services significantly contribute to health disparities.
The National Healthcare Quality Report depicts the unequal care provided by health care professionals. Racial/ethnic and socioeconomic measures were ranked in terms of better, same, or worse quality of care, which clearly illustrate large ranking of worse quality of care when white and non-white populations are compared. The same is true for socio-economic status.
