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Patients of Color Anticipate Unfair Treatment in Healthcare, KFF Survey Finds

Despite Majority Reporting No Unfair Treatment, Anticipation of Discrimination Influences Patient-Doctor Interactions and Can Lead to Worse Health Outcomes

Overview

  • According to a recent KFF survey, a significant number of patients of color, including 60% of Black respondents, prepare for potential unfair treatment when visiting a doctor.
  • The survey found that 55% of Black respondents felt they needed to be very careful about their appearance to be treated fairly during medical visits.
  • Nearly 30% of Black respondents prepare to be insulted, a rate about double that of white patients.
  • Despite the majority of respondents stating they had not been treated unfairly due to their race or ethnicity in the past three years, the anticipation of unequal treatment can influence patients' interactions with their doctors.
  • Discrimination in healthcare can lead to worse health outcomes, with patients less likely to seek care or having to switch providers, losing continuity of care.