Racial and ethnic inequities in health care are found in every state in the U.S. despite the passage of legislation intended to improve health outcomes for minorities and increased awareness of health care disparities over the past two decades, according to a new national report released Wednesday.
The 300-plus-page document from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine detailed how have contributed to worse health outcomes for minorities. It also offers recommendations and solutions to health care organizations and the federal government, like a more diverse workforce and adjusting payment systems to make health care more affordable. Dr.
Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association and co-chair of the committee that wrote the report, said people of color in the U.S. are more likely to experience and , and many .
“Inequities are baked into our health care system, and if we address them, everyone benefits,” Benjamin said. Racism and bias have also contributed to worse health outcomes, according to the report, which comes 21 years after the first from the organization. The committee behind the report suggested that more practicing physicians who are from diverse backgrounds and from the communities they serve would improve several problem areas; studies show that people of color generally receive better care when treated by those .
The research also showed language barriers persist in health care and that trainings on b.
