Analysis Of Robert Philips From The Film Worlds Apart

The relationship between black patients and doctors has always been strained by the injustice done by doctors in history. One such example stated in the book is the Tuskegee syphilis studies: They recruited hundreds of African-American men with syphilis, then watched them die slow, painful, preventable deaths, even after they realized penicillin could cure them. …

Note: Patients will tell you what you want to hear, so be careful how you ask your questions.

Entering therapy, then, was a terrifying prospect for Mercy, filled with an infinite potential for exposure and shame. The differences between us were palpable from the start; binaries of black and white, African and American, anti-establishment and more conventionally-minded filled the room with questions of compatibility, divergent values and the weight of our disparate social identities. Though a perfunctory investigation of any feelings she had about the differences between us was quickly dismissed, the starkness of our dissimilarities haunted our interactions from the start.

In doing so, he pays particularly close attention to black patients and their relations with health care policies and practices. Smedly maintains that blacks are not only the victims of, inpatient and outpatient treatment, racial policies, and other services but also the victims of its consequences. He argues that many health care administrators are agents to a system of inequality that support provider and administrator biases, geographical inequalities, and racial stereotypes (Smedly 2012).

Neil Calman’s “Out of the Shadows”. In Calman’s essay, he confesses how his implicit bias towards minority groups, in this case black men, prevented him and other medical professionals from properly doing their jobs. Additionally, in Dr. Calman’s essay he blatantly admits that his African American patient, Mr. North, is treated differently than a White middle class patient. Calman supported his claim by citing examples of Mr. North being denied a refill for an insulin prescription, being sent home from an appointment because he was 10 minutes late and even not being offered consultations by doctors to see heart specialists because they assumed he could not afford the visit (Calman, 2000). Dr. Calman recognized his own prejudice and the prejudice of other medical professions toward Mr. North and worked vigorously to try to convince others to confront their own. Even going as far as calling ahead and giving a positive characterization of Mr. North so he would not be categorized as “Poor Black Man” and given subpar medical

In this case, it is vital that healthcare professionals use information that is given to them wisely and with the utmost care.

In looking on the subject of race you realize there is a racial stigma when it comes to health care. The American health care system is geared to treat the majority, while the minority suffers. As one looks at the African American society we see the racial discrimination in the health care system. According to the American heart association, “African Americans are 28% more likely

Like previously stated, there has been a vast history of racial issues particularly in the medical field. These issues have led to minorities, especially African Americans, to not trust medical professionals and procedures. A study found in the Archives of Internal Medicine gives shocking results by stating that “African Americans were far less trusting than whites of the medical establishment and medical researchers in particular. African Americans were 79.2 percent more likely to believe that someone like them would be used as a guinea pig without his or her consent” (Clark 118). There are many cases in the past which would make a minority feel neglected and like a “guinea pig”. For instance, Henrietta Lacks, the main character of Rebecca Skloot’s book, was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1951. Her doctors were shocked at the terrifying rate her tumor was growing (Skloot 117). Her cells were taken from her cervix and they were distributed world wide without her or her family’s consent. The distribution went on for years even after her death

Communication is so important in a healthcare and social care setting for a number of reasons. The patient and the healthcare professional need to understand each other clearly in order for the patient to receive the best possible

Another visual observation is via talking to the patient to see if the patient is awake, to ask if they feel comfortable, about any pain, treatment and medication already taken, whether the patient has been eating or drinking. Talking with the patient will also indicate about the urinary, facial rejection, any previous medical conditions and if the patient is able to speak and contribute information, about symptoms can be found like fatigue, nausea and any other respiratory problems.

Discrimination and the differential quality of medical care African-Americans receive are seen in all levels of professional healthcare workers. Dr. Tweedy, a prominent psychiatrist and author of New York Times Bestseller A Black Man in a White Coat, has made claims about the difficulties and differences in healthcare treatment quality African-Americans receive (Weintraub, 2016). Studies from many medical professionals show that African-Americans face lesser quality and differential treatment due to social stigma and racial biases, whether these patients are in the Emergency Department, or seen by different health care professionals, such as registered nurses and surgical clinicians (Pletcher et. al, 2008; Haider et. al, 2015). The accumulation of discrimination, racial biases, and communication barriers between African-American patients and physicians are the reasons why African-Americans receive differential quality in medical care. The most effective way to improve and decrease these quality differences is to be proactive and educate health care workers by improving interpersonal skills and increasing awareness and cultural sensitivity training in both current and future healthcare professional workers.

Good communication between physician and patient is vital for a patient to make an informed choice regarding their care.

These include, maintaining eye contact, to show interest, nodding to show following to details, paraphrasing back to confirm understanding, asking questions for further clarification. These communication skills demonstrate a base value of respect, patient-centeredness and confidentiality and demonstrate non- judgementalness. Principles of care are demonstrated through effective communication that is dignity, safety, respect, confidentiality, trusting care relationship and job satisfaction.(Gibbs,2010)

It is important to be knowledgeable about a patients co-morbidities as they may interact with each other and affect how they are treated both pharmaceutically and through lifestyle options.

During the opening, it was mentioned that every age, race and ethnic group is effected and have a need for organ donations. Below are graphs from the US Department of Health & Human Services that clearly illustrate the needs for the waiting recipients. Illustration 1 shows the percentage of waiting candidates by their ethnicity. Statistically, Latinos suffer from obesity which leads to diabetes and heart disease. African Americans suffer higher rate of diabetes and high blood pressure. Asians and Hawaiians reportedly have a higher rate of kidney and liver diseases. Each of these dispositions can lead to other complications effecting the organs and eventually causing organ failure, even with treatment. Illustration 2 show that the people needing an organ donation is not limited to the aged or infirmed but range from newborn to over 65 years old.