Physicians' ethical responsibilities in addressing racial and ethnic healthcare disparities.

Full Abstract

Patients belonging to racial and ethnic minority populations continue to receive lesser-quality healthcare relative to other patients, even when controlling for relevant demographic variables. Such disparities represent a significant challenge for physicians who are ethically committed to serving all patients equally, irrespective of personal characteristics. Accordingly, this report explores the ethical obligations of individual physicians and the medical profession as they pertain to racial and ethnic disparities in healthcare. To address these disparities, the AMA Council on Ethical and Judicial Affairs recommends that physicians customize the provision of medial care to meet the needs and preferences of individual patients. Moreover, physicians must learn to recognize racial and ethnic healthcare disparities and critically examine their own practices to ensure that inappropriate considerations do not affect clinical judgment. Physicians can also work to eliminate racial and ethnic healthcare disparities by encouraging diversity within the profession, continuing to investigate healthcare disparities, and supporting the development of appropriate quality measures.

Learn Faster Today Improve your study skills

Author information

Author/s: Bostick, Nathan (N); Morin, Karine (K); Benjamin, Regina (R); Higginson, Daniel (D);

Affiliation: American Medical Association, Chicago, IL, USA. andy.bostick(-atsign-)ama-assn.org

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Review

Journal: Journal of the National Medical Association (J Natl Med Assoc), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2006-Aug; vol 98 (issue 8) : pp 1329-34

Dates: Created 2006/08/18; Completed 2006/09/14; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 16916132, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article (including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Ethics, Medical
Humans
Patient-Centered Care - ethics
Physicians - ethics

Physicians - ethics
Quality Assurance, Health Care - ethics
Societies, Medical
United States

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

What's wrong with doctors. 29 May 2007
Professionalism in medical education. 30 Dec 2003
[Questions of medicine, ethics, and morals in the Vilnius, Kaunas, and Siauliai ghettos] 30 Dec 2000
The moral orientations of justice and care among young physicians. 30 Dec 2002
Who will take responsibility for America's medical future if we don't? Trial lawyers? 30 Aug 2003
Physicians and strikes: can a walkout over the malpractice crisis be ethically justified? 30 Dec 2003
[The Council for Medical Ethics 1985-2001] 30 Mar 2004
The professionalism movement: a pause might not be sufficient. 30 Dec 2003
The professionalism movement: can we pause? 30 Dec 2003
Returning to professionalism: the re-emergence of medicine's art. 30 Dec 2003

See 100+ related articles.