Nicola, as I read this article the day it was published I was excited that someone proved what has been thought for many years. I completely agree that more studies like this should be done. When I think about performing a patient assessment there are very few reasons why it should matter to me what the color of someone's skin should be. One reason would be to consider a particular disease process; for example sickle cell anemia primarily occurs in the African-American population. If I were trying to make that diagnosis, but I was not willing to spend the required time necessary with them I might not ever know what is truly wrong with them.  Thank you for sharing, Wendy

Wendy W. Ayscue, BS, RRT, RCP
Respiratory Therapy and Polysomnography
Pitt Community College
PO Drawer 7007
Greenville, NC 27835

Phone: 252-493-7378
Fax: 252-321-4451
Email: wayscue at email.pittcc.edu



>>> "Davies, Nicola" <NDavies at dthr.ab.ca> 07/10/08 3:27 PM >>>

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/07/09/virtual.patient.bias/index.html
 
An interesting, although not too surprising, result from the States.
 
A great next step would be to study the incidence of bias against overweight and obese patients. As more and more media attention is given to obesity, e.g., "click here to see a map of America's fattest cities", and the argument for genetic predisposition to obesity, it is certainly something worth studying.
 

Nicola Davies, BA


Health Literacy Specialist

Wellness Centre Coordinator

Consumer Health Information Technician

8 ndavies at dthr.ab.ca

)  (403) 352-7643

* Red Deer Regional Hospital

        3942-50A Ave

        Red Deer, AB

        T4N 4E7
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail correspondence to and from this sender may be subject to the North Carolina Public Records Law and may be disclosed to third parties by an authorized state official. (NCGS.Ch.132)