Study Finds Most Hospitals Have Eliminated Racial Disparities in Care

A study conducted by researchers at five universities has found that there is no racial disparity in healthcare received by patients who are admitted to hospitals.

The study, published in the March 11 issue of the journal Health Affairs, examined patients records at more than 1,800 hospitals in 13 states. The research showed that when blacks and whites are admitted to a hospital for the same reason, they receive the same quality of care, and health outcomes are similar.

Darrell J. Gaskin, associate professor of African-American studies at the University of Maryland and one of the coauthors of the study, says that most hospitals have systems in place to ensure that patients receive the same quality of care. “It’s difficult for one hospital worker’s bias to make a difference in treatment.” He goes on to say that at most hospitals African Americans can rest assured that “if you come to the hospital for care, you’re probably getting the same quality as everyone else in that hospital.”

Dr. Gaskin is a 1983 graduate of Brandeis University. He holds a master’s degree in economics from MIT and a Ph.D. in health economics from Johns Hopkins University.

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