National Minority Health Month 2021

As National Minority Health Month comes to an end, it is important to remember that health disparities impact minorities in the United States beyond just this month. The National Minority Health 2021 theme is #VaccineReady in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how the CDC has found that minorities are disproportionately affected by it. When a global pandemic hits, it becomes very evident that minorities face health disparities because of the influx of people who require medical attention. We feel that is appropriate to acknowledge how these disparities have been affecting minorities since before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minority Children Received Fewer Diagnostic Images…

Earlier this year, JAMA Network Open published “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Emergency Department Diagnostic Imaging at US Children’s Hospitals, 2016-2019,” a study that looked at how race and ethnicity affected the use of diagnostic imaging in emergency situations among children. Over 13 million cases were collected from 44 different U.S. children’s hospital emergency departments. The study found that non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children do not receive diagnostic imaging as often during their visits to the emergency department as white children: “non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic received diagnostic imaging only in one-quarter of visits compared to white children who received diagnostic imaging in one-third of visits.”

The results of this study are alarming because diagnostic imaging can be crucial in detecting underlying issues, which are sometimes life-threatening. If non-Black Hispanic and Hispanic children do not receive the proper diagnostic imaging when needed, these children may undergo insufficient care and treatment. The gap between the amount of diagnostic imaging done on white children compared to non-Black Hispanic and Hispanic children is significant; the results of this study further the argument that minorities are consistently facing health inequities.

…So Did Minority Adults

In 2020, BMC Health published “The influence of patient race on the use of diagnostic imaging in united states emergency departments: data from the national hospital ambulatory medical care survey,” an extremely similar study that looked at the influence of race in adult emergency department visits and whether they received diagnostic imaging. This study found that 49% of white adults received diagnostic imaging, while only 41% of non-white adults received diagnostic imaging while visiting an emergency department. Although adults are more likely to receive diagnostic imaging overall, this data suggests that non-Black Hispanic and Hispanic children will continue to receive less diagnostic imaging throughout the entirety of their lives.

Racial health disparities are a dire issue that needs to be addressed in the United States because minorities are at a high risk of not receiving equal health care compared to white people. The health disparities that affect minorities in the U.S. have been an ongoing issue for decades, which has been overlooked and continues to affect the lives of many. These problems are avoidable and stem from the systematic racism that is present in the U.S. During a time where society is avidly looking to the healthcare system for guidance, it is imperative that racial inequity is brought to light and change is advocated for.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has brought more attention to the issue, it is important to realize health disparities that affect minorities will not go away when the pandemic ends. In the future, it is our hope that the inequities minorities face can be resolved so that they can receive equal quality healthcare.

References

Marin JR, Rodean J, Hall M, et al. Racial and Ethnic Differences in Emergency Department Diagnostic Imaging at US Children’s Hospitals, 2016-2019. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(1):e2033710. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.33710 Accessed April 29, 2021, via: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2775729?

Chang, B., Kalia, V., Li, G., & Ross, A. (2020). The influence of patient race on the use of diagnostic imaging in united states emergency departments: data from the national hospital ambulatory medical care survey. BMC Health Services Research, 20(840), 1-4. Accessed April 29, 2021, via: https://bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12913-020-05698-1