Survey: discrimination in patient care
A recent survey by the Commonwealth Fund polled 3,000 healthcare workers and found that almost half had witnessed racial or ethnic discrimination against patients. Fifty-two percent of respondents considered discrimination towards patients to be a major problem or crisis. Forty-seven percent of respondents considered racism or discrimination in the healthcare field to be a source of personal stress, with some respondents noting a lack of options to discuss or report such incidents. The Commonwealth Fund's report provided some recommendations for addressing the problem: "anonymous reporting channels, regular examination of policies for equitable outcomes, required classes on discrimination at professional schools, more opportunities to listen to people of color, evaluation of how non-English-speaking patients are treated, and healthcare worker training to spot discrimination."