New reporting from the Guardian has shed further light on the 'ethnicity pain gap' in healthcare.
Evidence shows that race and ethnicity are linked to differences in care quality and health outcomes.
For example, Black and Asian women are less likely to receive epidurals during childbirth, even when they ask.
Research indicates Black women are stereotyped as having 'thick skin,' while Asian women are seen as over-demanding.
Similar disparities appear in cancer treatment.
Patients from Black, south Asian, and mixed ethnic backgrounds receive fewer and lower doses of pain medication, even after controlling for age, cancer type, and other factors.
Solutions to Close the Gap
Experts emphasize that calling people racist is not the answer. Instead, they recommend four key interventions.
First, healthcare organizations should routinely collect and transparently share racial and ethnic disparity data, with accountability for the results.
Second, awareness training for staff on unconscious biases can help dispel myths about pain tolerance in different ethnic groups.
Third, standardizing clinical pathways with checklists and objective criteria can reduce individual bias at key decision points, such as when to offer an epidural.
Finally, leadership commitment is crucial. If leaders prioritize the ethnicity pain gap, it becomes an organizational focus.
Prof Devi Sridhar, chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, notes that acknowledging the data is the first step.
She argues that patients should receive equal care regardless of skin color, calling it 'good healthcare and good practice.'
