Just Medicine: A Cure for Racial Inequality in American Health Care

The MCAT is a standard exam required for entrance into medical programs in North America. The exam tests science knowledge as well as critical and analytical skills. In Just Medicine, Matthew cites the MCAT’s relevance in the context of implicit bias in the field of medicine. Matthew notes the possibility of the MCAT including questions regarding diversity and discrimination in the future, asserting that such questions will still not address the systemic issues in healthcare.

The National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in the US outline parameters that healthcare service providers must respect. Such parameters include any cultural and linguistic needs that patients may have. These parameters are meant to ensure healthcare equality by promoting cultural understanding and proper communication between providers and patients. Matthew connects CLAS to the broader discussion around eliminating healthcare inequities, arguing that culturally responsive care is critical to addressing systemic biases and improving outcomes for marginalized communities.

In Just Medicine, Matthew conceives the Biased Care Model as a system of determining how implicit bias works in the relationship between physician and patient, within the healthcare institutions, and at the level of training and testing medical staff. The model also provides ways to address the biases at the systemic and legal level.

The American Medical Association (AMA) is a professional organization established in 1847 in the US. The AMA represents physicians and oversees issues such as medical ethics, physician interests, and improvements in public health policy. In Just Medicine, Matthew examines the role of institutions like the AMA in shaping healthcare practices and policies, discusses their historical influence on access to care and their role in allowing the perpetuation of inequalities. Matthew calls for the AMA to take a more active role in addressing systemic bias.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is a US national agency focused on improving the safety and efficiency of healthcare. In Just Medicine, Matthew references the AHRQ’s annual reports between 2002 and 2010, which show that disparities in healthcare have stagnated.

Title VI of the Civil Rights Act addresses discrimination based on race, color, or national origin when receiving federal financial assistance. In Just Medicine, Matthew discusses the ways Title VI remains crucial for addressing systemic racial disparities in healthcare. Matthew argues that Title VI is in need of significant reform, as it only addresses overt discrimination, while being inefficient in addressing implicit bias.