“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., spoke the words quoted above in a 1966 speech to the Medical Committee for Human Rights. As we honor the life and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a look at healthcare disparities (inequalities) is timely.

Healthcare disparities take many forms. At the forefront is often racial and ethnic disparities in health insurance, access to care, and medical treatment. Research has documented gender disparities in medical care as well as for patients who are obese. A patient’s education and income have been found to impact physician’s recommended treatment.

For the weekend, explore the following articles on various aspects of healthcare disparities

1. The Commonwealth Fund: How the Affordable Care Act Has Narrowed Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Access to Health Care
2. ProPublica: In Men, It’s Parkinson’s. In Women, It’s Hysteria
3. Harvard Health:  Addressing Weight Bias in Medicine
4. New York Times:  Doctors and Racial Bias: Still a Long Way to Go
5. Bridge: Michigan doctors reach out to LGBTQ community to narrow health disparities
6. Washington Post: Your diagnosis was wrong. Could doctor bias have been a factor?

I hope you enjoy the materials and your weekend!