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Study Links Disparities in Pain Management to Racial Bias
Study Links Disparities in Pain Management to Racial Bias
April 04, 2016 Fariss Samarrai, farisss@virginia.edu
Research has documented that black Americans are systematically undertreated for pain relative to white Americans, likely due to both the over-prescription and over-use of pain medications among white patients and the under-prescription of pain medications for black patients. Indeed, research has shown that black patients are undertreated for pain not only relative to white patients, but relative to World Health Organization guidelines.
New research from the University of Virginia suggests that disparities in pain management may be attributable in part to bias. In a study of medical students and residents, researchers find that a substantial number of white medical students and residents hold false beliefs about biological differences between black and white people (e.g., black people’s skin is thicker; black people’s blood coagulates more quickly) that could affect how they assess and treat the pain experienced by black patients.
The findings are detailed online in the April 4 edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“Many previous studies have shown that black Americans are undertreated for pain compared to white Americans, because physicians might assume black patients might abuse the medications or because they might not recognize the pain of their black patients in the first place.” said Kelly Hoffman, a UVA psychology Ph.D. candidate who led the study. “Our findings show that beliefs about black-white differences in biology may contribute to this disparity.”
....
Media Contact
Fariss Samarrai
Media Relations Associate
Office of University Communications
farisss@virginia.edu
(434) 924-3778
April 04, 2016 Fariss Samarrai, farisss@virginia.edu
Research has documented that black Americans are systematically undertreated for pain relative to white Americans, likely due to both the over-prescription and over-use of pain medications among white patients and the under-prescription of pain medications for black patients. Indeed, research has shown that black patients are undertreated for pain not only relative to white patients, but relative to World Health Organization guidelines.
New research from the University of Virginia suggests that disparities in pain management may be attributable in part to bias. In a study of medical students and residents, researchers find that a substantial number of white medical students and residents hold false beliefs about biological differences between black and white people (e.g., black people’s skin is thicker; black people’s blood coagulates more quickly) that could affect how they assess and treat the pain experienced by black patients.
The findings are detailed online in the April 4 edition of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“Many previous studies have shown that black Americans are undertreated for pain compared to white Americans, because physicians might assume black patients might abuse the medications or because they might not recognize the pain of their black patients in the first place.” said Kelly Hoffman, a UVA psychology Ph.D. candidate who led the study. “Our findings show that beliefs about black-white differences in biology may contribute to this disparity.”
....
Media Contact
Fariss Samarrai
Media Relations Associate
Office of University Communications
farisss@virginia.edu
(434) 924-3778
