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Martin gives talk on race's impact on health care services

The Society for Multicultural Medicine on discrepancies in health

Dr. Marcus L. Martin, vice president and chief officer for diversity and equity, presented to the Society of Multicultural Medicine on health disparities Mar. 31.

According to Martin, “health disparity” refers to inequality in terms of quality and opportunity of care. These disparities are especially present in minority communities because of correlating socioeconomic factors, such as high rates of uninsurance, underinsurance, lack of education and lack of transportation.

“Access is [a] primary predictor of quality care,” Martin said.

There are also institutional barriers within health systems themselves, such as long waits, inconvenient hours, uninviting settings and geographic barriers, such as rural and inner city health professional shortages. Poor communities with high black and Hispanic populations are more likely to have physician shortages with about 24 physicians per 100,000 people — compared to 69 physicians per 100,000 people in communities with smaller black and Hispanic populations.

Attitudes and cultural barriers also play a key role in preventing minorities from receiving quality care. Martin said studies indicate blacks are less trusting of hospitals, of the organ donation system, of medical research and of the reasons behind why physicians use or withdraw life sustaining therapies.

Martin began by presenting data which demonstrated certain diseases disproportionately affect the black population — including that blacks have the highest percentage of diagnosed blood pressure and obesity, and that the rate of infant mortalities, particularly by Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, is highest among black children born of black mothers. For heart disease, cancer and stroke, blacks also have the highest mortality rates.

Blacks also have the highest mortality rates for diabetes, Human Immunodeficiency Virus and homicide. Even though white women have the highest rate of breast cancer, the highest rate of death from breast cancer is found in black women.

Furthermore, black women have a life expectancy 4.4 years shorter than white women, and black men 6.2 years shorter than white men. Martin said multiple factors contribute to this, including higher mortality rates among young people, but that health discrepancies play a part.

According to Martin, interpreter services, recruitment and retention of doctors in places with large minority populations, proper training, utilization of community health workers would help reduce barriers and to facilitate proper medical care. Additionally, the Affordable Care Act will help reduce discrepancies by making more people eligible for Medicaid and preventing insurers from canceling policies if subscribers get sick, he said.

Second-year College student Kathryn Marqueen, a member of the Society of Multicultural Medicine, said she found the presentation worthwhile.

“As future health care professionals, I think Dr. Martin’s talk was very eye-opening to the disparities that exist within our society that we will have to address,” she said. “One thing that really struck me as interesting was his discussion on the culture of distrust among African-Americans [regarding] various aspects of the health care system.”

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