Responding to Racism from Patients

Videos

Dealing with Racist Comments by Patients: Dilemmas in the Hospital and Society (60min)

White coats and hospital walls don't protect physicians of color from racist patients. About 70% of Asian and black doctors deal with biased comments.

Dealing with Racist Patients (30min)

Dr. Paul-Emile addresses dealing with patients’ requests for a different physician.

Articles

Confronting Racial Violence

The authors recommend an approach that names the racism directly while addressing the safety of the patient and the clinicians in the moment, supports those affected in the aftermath, and considers appropriate consequences for the perpetrators of violence.

Dealing with Racist Patients

A patient’s refusal of care based on the treating physician’s race or ethnic background can raise thorny ethical, legal, and clinical issues — and can be painful, confusing, and scarring for the physicians involved. And we fear that race-based reassignment demands will only increase as the U.S. physician population becomes more racially and ethnically diverse.

Approaches for Residents to Address Problematic Patient Behavior

The physician aims to get to know the patient better, forming a relationship built on mutual respect. The following tools may allow for reflection in order to build patient rapport, promote patient-centered care, and attend to resident well-being.

Additional links to articles and podcasts:

https://www.raceandmedicine.com/racism-towards-health-professionals