Research on the Provider Contribution to Race/Ethnicity Disparities in Medical Care

Little is known about why black patients and other ethnic/racial minorities are less likely to receive the best treatments independent of clinical appropriateness, payer, and treatment site.

Abstract

There is sufficient evidence for the hypothesis that provider behavior contributes to race/ethnicity disparities in care to warrant further study. Although there is some evidence of support of the hypotheses that both provider beliefs about of patients and provider behavior during encounters are independently influenced by patient race/ethnicity further systematic rigorous study is needed and is proposed as a major immediate research priority. These mechanisms deserve intensive research focus as they may prove to be the most promising targets for interventions intended to ameliorate the provider contribution to disparities in care.