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Symposium Addresses Health Inequities Faced by Women of Color
As the number of reports documenting the existence of health care disparities grows, many clear and consistent patterns are emerging.
Being a member of a racial or ethnic minority puts an American at a health disadvantage. So does being a woman. And if you're a woman and a member of a minority, your chances of staying healthy or making a good recovery from an illness are the slimmest in the country.
Understanding this "double disadvantage" and working to overcome it was the theme of the Margaret E. Mahoney Annual Symposium on Health Disparities Among Women of Color, April 16 at the National Press Club. This joint effort of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health and The Commonwealth Fund brought together a panel of researchers, practitioners, organizers and representatives of government agencies.
Each of the presenters offered a unique viewpoint, but the most striking feature of the symposium was the consistency of its take-home message.
Here is a sampling of key themes:
* Although there is much to learn, simply applying our existing knowledge of sound science and how it translates into practice -- resolving the dissonance between what we know and what we do -- would go a long way toward bridging gaps.
* Efforts on all levels, from data collection to development of interventions and evaluation of their impact, must involve the community -- be part of it, not merely for it. These efforts should capitalize on the community's inherent strengths (for example, returning to traditional Native American dietary patterns to fight diabetes).
* The time has come to stop collecting purely descriptive data and emphasize causation research.
* Multiple coordinated actions are required to translate medical science into medical outcomes. For example, heath screening must not only be available, but also must be affordable for and known to the target recipients; in addition, health care providers must be aware of, approve of and refer patients to the screening. To achieve this, partnerships must be formed involving health care institutions, the public health sector, community institutions, community members and the government (such as CDC's REACH 2010).
Another recurrent theme was the need to bridge the communication gap between patients and physicians. This gap may stem from a literal language barrier: Data released last month by The Commonwealth Fund indicate that 42 percent of Latinas whose primary language is Spanish have problems communicating with their physicians. Meanwhile, only 48 percent of adults who need an interpreter to talk with their doctor get one most or all of the time. Or the gap may result from a clash of cultures and values: Asian American women are particularly likely to ignore their doctor's advice because they disagree with it or find it goes against their personal beliefs.
To get patients and providers "speaking the same language," panel members agreed, more cross-cultural training of medical professionals is essential. Other commentators on health disparities have stressed another angle, one highlighted in this issue's Spotlight on Resources: the need to train more minority physicians.
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