According to Jennifer, she argues that those affected most by American health care are people of color. This is because the American healthcare system does not provide healthcare services equally to the minority groups such as people of color as it does to white people (Ledford, 2019). Jennifer also claims that the professionals did not seriously take her health issues though she is unsure whether it was all about race. This might be due to America’s healthcare system fraught with disparities that mostly affect underprivileged populations. Jennifer sought to find advice from older people as she values her health and would have suffered from depression due to racism.
Jennifer feels that the healthcare professions tend to base their care on one’s race rather than an individual, for instance, when her diabetic condition was associated with her race. This is due to race’s uneven access to treatments, which is traced back to socioeconomic disparities (Ledford, 2019). It is not always one’s wish to be diagnosed with some conditions; hence one’s color should not be the first point of call for determining why one suffers from certain diseases. In the American military, it is a requirement for one to take the flu vaccine annually (Stutz, 2020). This is why Jennifer takes the vaccine since she was once a member of the military. She also believes in science and medicine hence does not find it difficult to take the flu shot.
Jennifer does not feel comfortable participating in the medical trials because of the risks and outcomes associated with the trials. This is because some experimental treatments have minor to severe adverse effects. In certain situations, doctors are unaware of potential side effects making the patients to distrust the process (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, 2019). Several studies have found out that organ donations extensively divert one from grief to relief and provide a sense of purpose and tranquility to the affected families (Jealous, 2020). Hence, this makes Jennifer willing to donate her organs to help other individuals to support their lives as her mother would have lived more years if she would have gotten a donor.
Jennifer also claims that her pain complaints were not taken seriously while in the military due to her race, which made her feel discriminated by the white primary care manager. Several studies have found that racial bias exists among white healthcare professionals, thus leading to negative implications for the patient’s care (Romano, 2020). This is evident as Jennifer’s primary care ignores her despite her pains and suffering. Jennifer considers education to be a priority among African Americans. People who are better educated and conscious of their health are more likely to seek medical care. At least 40 percent of the respondents of African Americans have limited reading ability (Noonan et al., 2016). Therefore, those with inadequate health literacy may struggle to fill out prescriptions, understand drug instructions, and complete insurance applications.
Linda feels that the American health care system has become very expensive for minority groups, specifically for African Americans. A larger portion of the African Americans has always wished the healthcare system would be affordable to everyone as it is in other European countries. The few African Americans who get privileged to access the services are kept waiting for hours, and their health issues are not taken seriously (Ledford, 2019). This is why Linda complained that her health was not seriously taken care of by the white doctors. The issue of racism makes Linda uncomfortable getting advice from older people concerning her health issues.
The African Americans are viewed as faking illnesses, which forces several individuals to pretend that they are not that ill. Racism has taken its roots deeper in the American healthcare system. People always believe that only health care professionals can solve their health problems, and hence they may find it difficult to consult other people. Millions of black people are affected by race bias in healthcare facilities as white healthcare professionals base their care on individuals based on their appearance (Ledford, 2020). Linda witnesses her husband being brushed off at the facility due to his appearance.
Linda does not prefer taking the flu vaccines as she feels that her immune is not compatible with the vaccine since she has never had one. Due to the lack of enough information regarding the vaccine among African Americans, they may feel that it is not safe for their immunity and may have adverse effects (McDaniels, 2017). Linda does not prefer being used as a test dummy in medical trials. According to several studies concerning medical trials, researchers also may be unaware of the possible outcomes of the research; hence they may be unable to tell the possible side effects (Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, 2019). This makes Linda finds it risky to participate in the medical trials.
Brittney complains about how white doctors tend to disregard African Americans. They do not give adequate care to people of color. She prefers to seek medical attention from the Black doctors since they may provide better care for her and other Black patients. Black doctors may provide better care for Black patients than white doctors (Onyejiaka, 2020). In addition, many black patients prefer to talk about their health issues with black doctors and health care providers.
The white health professionals also do not take health issues about black patients seriously. This is evident when Brittney was told to leave the facility, bearing in mind that she was in pain. Hence, African-American patients with African-American physicians may benefit from avoiding racial prejudices exhibited by white healthcare providers, which might adversely influence their care (Onyejiaka, 2020). From this point of view, it is evident that Black Doctors could better serve African American health issues.
Brittney felt uncomfortable or unwilling to discuss concerns of racism with her family members or older individuals. She believes that many elderly individuals are conflicted about guiding minority groups because they are not qualified professionals, thus having little interest in this role. Brittney feels like the white doctors cannot attend to her health concerns, and hence she decides to prescribe herself Tylenol, which she normally takes. This is because white physicians cannot treat minority patients properly due to racism in the American health system, which does not adequately represent the country’s real diversity (Huerto, 2020).
Brittney does not prefer taking the annual flu shots as it once made her sick. According to research conducted, African-American people believe that they are more likely to suffer from adverse effects from the flu shot and have less knowledge about it than their white counterparts (McDaniels, 2017).
When it comes to clinical research, several individuals find it necessary to participate in the medical trials as it helps advance the American health care system. Hence, Brittney finds it necessary to participate in the clinical trials. Brittney also finds it humane to donate organs because she belongs to a minority group. This is because African Americans are the largest minority population in need of an organ transplant, compose the largest number of minorities that must rely on organ donation.
According to Brittney, healthcare professionals should be trained on implicit bias as such programs serve professionals who often care for hospice-eligible patients. This is because healthcare providers are better informed about implicit biases will deliver better healthcare services for African Americans in the latter stages of life, along with increased hospice access.
References
Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. (2019). Inside Clinical Trials: Testing Medical Products in People. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Web.
Huerto, R. (2020). Minority Patients Benefit From Having Minority Doctors, But That’s a Hard Match to Make. University of Michigan. Web.
Jealous, B., Locke, J., & Segal, G. (2020). New Organ Donation Rule Is A Win For Black Patients And Health Equity | Health Affairs Blog. Healthaffairs. Web.
Ledford, H. (2019). Millions of black people affected by racial bias in healthcare algorithms. Nature, 574(7780), 608–609. Web.
McDaniels, A. K. (2017). Study: African-Americans don’t trust flu vaccine; whites don’t think flu is that bad. Baltimoresun. Web.
Noonan, A. S., Velasco-Mondragon, H. E., & Wagner, F. A. (2016). Improving the health of African Americans in the USA: an overdue opportunity for social justice. Public Health Reviews, 37(1). Web.
Onyejiaka, T. (2020). Why Black patients treated by Black doctors fare better. Roman HealthGuide; Roman Health Guide. Web.
Romano, M. J. (2018). White Privilege in a White Coat: How Racism Shaped my Medical Education. The Annals of Family Medicine, 16(3), 261–263. Web.
Stutz, D. H. (2020). Military Health System encourages influenza vaccination for 2020. Military Health System. Web.