Nearly half of U.S. healthcare workers have seen racism against patients

While 47% of health workers said they’ve witnessed discrimination against patients in their facilities, 52% said racism against patients is a major problem, according to a new report. Photo by Adobe Stock/HealthDay News

Nearly half of healthcare workers nationwide say they’ve seen discrimination against patients while on the job, a new report reveals.

While 47% of health workers said they’ve witnessed discrimination against patients in their facilities, 52% said racism against patients is a major problem, according to the report from the Commonwealth Fund and the African American Research Collaborative (AARC).

“The study shines a light on the discrimination and racism healthcare workers observe and the implications for negative health outcomes of patients in many communities,” said lead report author Henry Fernandez, CEO of the AARC.

“Understanding this connection at a national level is critical to measuring and addressing discrimination in the healthcare system to mitigate harm to patients and produce better health outcomes overall,” Fernandez added in a Commonwealth Fund news release.

For the report, researchers surveyed more than 3,000 healthcare workers across the United States.

Here’s what they found:

More than half of healthcare workers (57%) witnessed discrimination against a patient who spoke a language other than EnglishAbout half (48%) said medical providers are more accepting of what White patients tell them than Black patientsAround half (47%) said dealing with discrimination at work causes them stress

Healthcare workers at facilities that help more patients of color were more likely to witness discrimination.

About 70% of workers at facilities with predominantly Black patients and 61% of those at facilities with predominantly Hispanic patients witnessed discrimination, compared to 43% at facilities with mostly White patients.

The survey also found that healthcare professionals themselves also are subjected to racism.

About 44% of healthcare workers have observed discrimination against coworkers. When provided examples of workplace discrimination, that percentage rose to two-thirds.

When asked about potential solutions, more than two-thirds of healthcare workers suggested steps like:

Anonymous reporting of racism or discriminationBetter communication with patients and healthcare professionals of colorExamination of how non-English-speaking patients are treatedTraining that helps better spot and stop discrimination

“If we are going to build truly equitable healthcare systems, we have to start by listening to voices of those on the front lines,” said report co-author Dr. Laurie Zephyrin, senior vice president for advancing health equity at the Commonwealth Fund.

“Understanding what healthcare workers are experiencing, and what they want and need from their employers and colleagues to address discrimination, is critical to successful and sustainable change,” Zephyrin added.