Title: How Systemic Racism Contributes to Disparities in Health
Headings: How Systemic Racism Contributes to Disparities in Health
How Systemic Racism Contributes to Disparities in Health
Section 1: The Problem — How Systemic Racism is Connected to Disparities in Healthcare
Health Outcome Disparities
Wealth Gap
Lack of Paid Sick Time
Insurance Disparities
Disparities in Access to Healthy Food
Environmental Hazards
Underfunded Hospitals
Disparities in Access to Care
Racial Disparities in Maternal Care and Outcomes
Racial Disparities in Mental Health Care
Section 2: Causes and Factors — What Contributes to Racial Disparities in Health Outcomes?
Implicit Bias in Healthcare
The Racist History of America’s Healthcare Systems
Fear and Distrust of the Health Care System
Lacking Diversity in Healthcare Professionals
Section 3: Solutions — Ideas for Moving Forward to Address Racial Health Inequity
Diverse Staffing
Creating Education Pathways for BIPOC Doctors
Implicit Bias and Diversity Training for Doctors
Improving Access to Higher Quality Care
Addressing Systemic Social Determinants of Health
Community Education Programs
Collecting Race Data
Empowering Black Patients
Conclusion
About the Author
Ted Chan, MBA
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Content: Due to the nature of the virus and how it spreads in indoor or enclosed spaces, COVID-19 disproportionately affects people who work in low-income “essential” jobs, such as factory workers, public transportation drivers, cleaners, and supermarket cashiers. “ BIPOC are significantly more impacted by COVID-19 because of systemic racism that has led to more ‘essential’ workers being BIPOC,” said Dr. Muhammad. No Paid Sick Leave: Dr. Muhammad pointed out that people working in these low-income jobs are also less likely to be able to afford to take off work or have paid sick leave. “ They have had to continue putting themselves and their families at risk by going working out in public during the pandemic,” she said. Comorbidities: Another reason why the COVID death rate is disproportionately high among Black people is that they are more likely to have an underlying condition that contributes to a higher risk of COVID mortality. For example, obesity has emerged as a common risk factor for severe COVID-19. The obesity rate for Black Americans is 50% higher than that of white Americans. Social Distancing Difficulties: