JSNMA SUMMER 2019 Sneak Preview

58 Opinion
A REFLECTION ON THE
IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICIANS
OF COLOR IN TREATING
UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
ASHLEY PINCKNEY, MBS, OMS-II
PHILADELPHIA COLLEGE OF OSTEOPATHIC MEDICINE
E
ach year, African Americans
continue to be a medically
underserved population in
our communities. As I continue on
my journey to become a physician,
I become more and more aware
of the overwhelming healthcare
disparities affecting patients of color.
According to the Center for
Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), African American patients,
ages 18-49, are
twice as likely to die
from cardiovascular
disease than any
other race. Younger
African American
patients are living
with chronic diseases
such as hypertension
and diabetes, whereas
these diseases often do not affect
patients of other races until they
are much older. When comparing
the CDC’s data on deaths from
cardiovascular disease and the
United States Census Bureau’s
racial geographic data, it is not
far fetched to conclude that
African Americans make up a
large proportion of the patients
experiencing these poor health
outcomes.
I believe the largest impact that
can be made on such disparities
is by physicians of color. Simply
put, our communities need more
doctors who look like them. As a
medical student, I have witnessed
countless lecturers emphasize
the importance of a patient’s
health history and the physicianpatient
relationship. Yet, how
many patients of color are willing
to reveal their true selves to their
physicians when there is a lack of
...African American patients,
ages 18-49, are twice as likely
to die from cardiovascular
disease than any other race.
personal connection or perceived
empathy? Not to say that the color
of our skin is everything; however,
it is innate for human nature to
seek out those with whom we
share commonalities. Something
as simple as one medically
underserved minority providing
healthcare to another, could make
the world of difference in the
tortuous landscape of disparity.
Health literacy also plays a
significant role in the long-term
outcomes of patients. When
considering HIV in African American
patients, low health literacy lends
itself to a lack of understanding
of the disease and its treatment.
This could surely exacerbate the
disease course and accelerate the
development of AIDS. Additionally,
a research study examining
health literacy in asthmatic African
American teenagers found that
one-third of them had issues
understanding
their respiratory
condition because
they could not
understand the
written information
provided to them
regarding asthma.
If patients are
untrusting of or
uncomfortable with their physicians,
then their health literacy is at further
risk. If our patients are too afraid to
ask for clarity regarding their care
or treatment, we as physicians can
no longer expect the best possible
outcomes for our patients.
Clinicians of color have the ability
to further connect with underserved
minority patients, providing
opportunities to minimize health
inequity by creating a space within
our clinical practices where they
J o u r n a l o f t h e S t u d e n t N a t i o n a l M e d i c a l A s s o c i a t i o n