“‘Implicit Bias’ May Account For A Glaring Disparity In Health Care Screening”
“they are two times more likely than whites to develop diabetes, despite having lower obesity rates. This isn’t a surprise to physicians who treat mostly Asians, but it was news to Dr. Hu when he relocated to Massachusetts over a decade ago. That’s because back in Pennsylvania most of his patients were white…
Tung theorizes that “either patients don’t ask for diabetes screening because they think they are not at risk, or physicians don’t screen their patients because they think their Asian patients are healthier and at lower risk.”
It goes back to the model minority myth. You know, the one where Asian Americans don’t do drugs, don’t commit crimes and are really healthy.
“I do think that a lot of people out there think that Asians likely eat healthier because they likely eat a diet of vegetables and rice or fish and rice,” said Tung. “And you know, as an Asian American, I know that that is not true.”
Related: “Study Links Disparities in Pain Management to Racial Bias”; “Can healthcare be cured of racial bias?”; “African-Americans are at a higher risk for Alzheimer’s disease”
