Section: Module 11: Lesson 3: Race/Ethnicity and Health | Humanism in Health and Healthcare | NextGenU.org
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Learning Objectives:
- Articulate the impact of race/ethnicity on patients’ health status and experiences with health and health care.
- Demonstrate critical thinking about the needs of patients who face race/ethnic health disadvantages and articulate creative approaches to clinical care that are sensitive to the challenges they face.
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Students mustMark as done
Required Learning Resources and Activities
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Students mustView
Please read the article by Brooke Cunningham, in which she articulates the deep historical roots of race/ethnic disparities in both US society at large and within medicine in particular. While she focuses largely on the US context, it is important to recognize that these same sorts of race/ethnic disparities, with their roots in race essentialism, are pervasive around the world. As you read, think about how our underlying epistemic orientation toward race/ethnicity might exacerbate inequalities in health.
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Students mustView
Please read the report authored by Roberta Spalter-Roth, Terri Ann Lowenthal, and Mercedes Rubio and sponsored by the American Sociological Association, which explores persistent race/ethnic disparities in health. While the report is from 2005, these disparities have persisted to the present day. Moreover, similar disparities can be seen across race/ethnic strata in countries around the world, with marginalized race/ethnic groups consistently experiencing worse health. Many of these issues have structural roots. That is, they are rooted in macro-level social structures in ways that might seem relatively immutable from the standpoint of the individual practitioner. As you read, however, think about how knowledge of these disparities might inform your clinical practice, the questions you raise, the ways you set up your office/unit and train your staff, etc.
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Students mustView
Please read the article by Lundy Braun and Barry Saunders on the dangers of essentializing race in medicine. This article raises important questions and cautions about the ways we use race (or any other group-level characteristic) to speak about health risks. As you read, think about ways that we might use race/ethnicity in health and medicine that support efforts to attend to and reduce disparities. Alternatively, think about ways that race/ethnicity might be invoked such that, even unintentionally, the concepts are employed in ways that exacerbate disparity and/or stigma.
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Students mustViewStart discussions: 1
In this activity, you will compare and contrast the health status and experiences of two different races and discuss, focused on substance use disorders, how race influences a patient’s health status and experiences.
Step 1. Select [10 minutes]
Select one racial minority in your country or region.
Example: Hispanics in the United States
Step 2. Compare and contrast [30 minutes]
Compare and contrast your selected racial minority with a racial privileged or majority, i.e., “White” Americans, in terms of the following indicators:
- Health status
- Health care access and affordable coverage
- Access to substance use and abuse care and treatment
Step 3. Respond [210 minutes]
Imagine yourself as a contributing writer for a medical journal, tasked to write an article for this month’s theme on Race and Health.
Prepare a 300-700 word article that discusses the following key components:
- Difference between your selected racial minority and racially privileged group in terms of
- Health status
- Health care access and affordable coverage
- Access to substance use and abuse care and treatment
- Needs of the racial minority facing health disadvantages
- Creative approaches to address the problem and promote racial health equity and better access to substance use and abuse care and treatment.
Step 4. Share [10 minutes]
To share your audio recording, click on the “Add a new discussion” button under this post and paste your work into the “Message” box. Make sure to reference others’ intellectual property when necessary. All references should follow 7th Edition APA formatting. For further instructions, see the resource on the Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library: APA citation resource (N.B. references are excluded from word counts).
Step 5. Interact [10 minutes]
Evaluate and categorize the work from one of your peers based on items A - E of the rubric below. Provide a rationale for the grade you have provided, as well as comments or suggestions for improvement. To post a reply, click “Reply” on a particular discussion, write your feedback and then click on “Post to forum.” You can use the list below as an example:
Item A is .…. because…. My suggestions for improvement are….
Item B is .…. because…. My suggestions for improvement are….
Item C is .…. because…. My suggestions for improvement are….
Item D is .…. because…. My suggestions for improvement are….
Item E is .…. because…. My suggestions for improvement are…. -
Students mustViewReceive a grade
To access the quiz, click on the name of the quiz provided above. On the following screen, click the "Preview quiz now" button to respond to the questions.