PROVEN RACIAL BIAS IN MEDICAL CARE

In this clip, psychiatrist Dr Kali Hobson (@DrkaliMD on TikTok and Instagram) demonstrated the startling difference in how medical practitioners address pain in white children versus Black children in the US.

Although Hobson presented a hypothetical scenario here, decades of data have demonstrated this racial disparity, particularly in the case of appendicitis, an inflammation and infection of the appendix organ that can cause excruciating pain. 

A 2016 study found Black children with appendicitis are less likely to receive medication for moderate pain compared to their white peers. They are also significantly less likely to receive opioids for severe pain. These findings come even after adjusting for factors like pain severity, insurance status and triage level (how hospital workers observe the patient at intake).

Similarly, studies show that Black women in labour and postpartum are less likely to receive medication for pain relief.

Without empirical data, scientists for centuries have pushed forth pseudo-scientific (false) claims based on alleged biological differences between white and Black people. A leading claim is that Black people tolerate more pain due to thicker skin or less sensitive nerve endings. Despite absolutely no scientific evidence existing to back up these myths, the legacy of this r*cist perception continues to lead to disproportionately poor health outcomes for Black people in the West.

Video credit: @drkalimd (Instagram)

Sources

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4843483

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1526590024005182

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2793179#google_vignette

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4829078

https://www.reuters.com/article/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/black-hispanic-mothers-report-more-pain-after-delivery-but-get-less-pain-medica-idUSKBN1XM2R3

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/black-women-are-less-likely-to-receive-epidurals-during-labor-heres-why-194638403.html

https://www.cedars-sinai.org/newsroom/black-and-hispanic-women-receive-lower-doses-of-postpartum-pain-medication-according-to-new-study

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6905121

https://www.statnews.com/2016/04/04/medical-students-beliefs-race-pain