NMA, AMA, other groups launch initiative to cut health care disparities

A review of medical studies shows racial and ethnic differences in cardiac care.

By Damon Adams, AMNews staff. Oct. 28, 2002.

L. Natalie Carroll, MD, said some African-American patients with high blood pressure have gone to white doctors only to be told their blood pressure was fine.

The Houston ob-gyn isn't sure if the doctors thought that African- Americans had different guidelines for blood pressure or if they overlooked their patients' concerns. But she said such incidents illustrate disparities in the medical care given to different racial and ethnic groups.

Dr. Carroll, president of the National Medical Assn., is supporting a new initiative to raise awareness among physicians about disparities, in hopes that awareness of such behavior will help put a stop to it.

The group, which represents about 25,000 African-American doctors, is joining other medical and public health organizations to create awareness through ads in medical publications, a review of differences in cardiac care and outreach efforts meant to engage physicians in dialogue.

"A lot of times, people aren't even aware that they do these things," Dr. Carroll said. "This is a start to address disparities. I hope it gets people to talking and to thinking."

Health care leaders launched the national campaign Oct. 9 in Washington, D.C. The Kaiser Family Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have committed $1 million to the initiative. Co-sponsoring organizations include the AMA, the American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Cardiology Foundation, American Heart Assn. and National Hispanic Medical Assn.

"There's no question that racial disparities are a real problem in medical care," said Drew Altman, PhD, president and CEO of the Kaiser Foundation. "The fastest way to address this issue is enlisting physicians to play a leadership role. It's the physician who's in the office who has the best opportunity to resolve the problem." [...]