Study: Care differs by race, even among trainees

Even if they're unconscious, it appears attitudes about race are influencing the way doctors care for African-American patients, according to a new Harvard study. Researchers gave trainee physicians a 20-minute computer survey designed to root out both conscious and unintended prejudices. The trainee physicians also were asked to address a hypothetical case of a 50-year-old man with chest pain, often described as white but sometimes as black. According to researchers, the stronger the implicit biases held by physician-trainees, the less likely they were to give the hypothetical black patient clot-busting treatment. Definitely a worrisome outcome.

To learn more about the study:
- read this piece in The Boston Globe (reg. req.)

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