Race-Based Medicine & Clinical Bias
A doctor adjusts kidney function scores based on a patient’s race. What critique does Dorothy Roberts offer?
Using race as a biological proxy is inaccurate and harmful; it delays care and reinforces pseudoscience.
A clinician says sickle cell disease only affects Black people. What correction is needed?
Sickle cell is linked to malaria regions and affects people of many ethnicities, not just Black populations.
During the pandemic, a Black patient with sickle cell disease is denied emergency care. What systemic issue does this reflect?
Racial bias and underfunding in healthcare lead to life-threatening neglect, especially during crises.
A heart failure drug is approved only for African American patients. What critique does Ann Morning offer?
Race is a social category, not a genetic one, using it to guide treatment reinforces stereotypes and ignores individual variation.
A Black woman is denied ultrasounds and misdiagnosed during pregnancy. What systemic issue does this reflect?
Medical racism and the legacy of eugenics, which continue to shape prenatal care and dismiss Black women’s concerns.
A pain specialist assumes Black patients exaggerate pain. What historical bias does this reflect?
It stems from racist beliefs about pain tolerance, leading to under-treatment and systemic neglect.
A patient with sickle cell trait collapses during military training. What does this reveal?
Sickle cell trait can cause complications under extreme conditions and should not be dismissed as harmless.
Sickle cell patients face delays in transfusions during COVID-19. What broader lesson does this teach?
Structural inequities, not race itself, drive health disparities and must be addressed through systemic reform. This reflects the intersection of race, disease, and access, reinforcing Roberts’ call for structural change.
The A-HeFT trial for BiDil excluded non-Black participants. What scientific issue does this raise?
It prevents comparison across groups, making it impossible to prove race-specific efficacy.
A global health NGO treats local communities as “targets.” What critique does Anu Kumar offer?
It objectifies people and dismisses local expertise, reinforcing white supremacy in global health.