Racial differences in health care occur, even for the insured population with access to health care. This leads to the conclusion that some of the differences in health care, using different ethnic groups because of patient preferences. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management decisions are often complex, several Trade-offs between the relief of symptoms long-term reduction of disability, adverse events and serious complications.
A new study examined whether African American, and in patients with RA White, as they fall under the Trade-offs between risks and benefits related to treatment. The study was published in the April issue of Arthritis Care & Research. Dr Liana Fraenkel Yale University researcher is examining how 136 patients with RA, the Trade-offs on specific treatment drug current RA. These include benefits such as the possibility to adopt or improve the symptoms, risks and side effects and theoretical risk of cancer. You studied, as patients, Trade-offs in treatment decisions to determine the specific value of people. The results showed that there are significant differences in the way that African American and white characteristics of patients evaluated. African American patients who, overall, 49 percent of the study sample attached greater importance to the risk of toxicity, particularly for rare, serious adverse events and less on the likelihood of benefits white patients. For example, African Americans who have the greatest importance to the theory of risk of cancer, while white patients were very concerned about the likelihood of remission and control the progression of radiographic examination.
Up to now, has been generally accepted that differences in the treatment of race can be corrected by changes in either health or the health system. This is because research into health care in large part the differences in access to health care, lack of insurance, the quality of care by the physician of the unconscious and social prejudices.
Although the Institute of Medicine model of health contains a confirmation of the differences that may be partly to differences in care preferences, there are few studies have tested this concept and racial / cultural differences in the benefit / risk perception remains a sub-domain of evidence.
“Our study is important because, to our knowledge, this is the first study to evaluate whether formally risks to the preferential treatment is one possible explanation for the use among African Americans more efficient, but risky to turn off the treatment of a chronic disease, “the authors of the State. It emphasizes that different models of health and disease that can lead to patient preferences, and and communication limited while visiting the clinic.
The study showed that African Americans were much less likely than their white colleagues, the authors of the theory can not because of “cultural aversion to risk for profit.” This type of risk aversion on the basis of a suspicion or learned of low expectations for the health care system, which, if a subgroup, the net increase of life, economic prosperity and the power of high culture, but do not gain that experience, even if they live in the same country or culture.
The authors conclude: “Given these results, physicians should confirm that the patient with accurate expectations of the natural history and treatment of their disease, and ensure that patients preferences based on a solid assessment of pros and cons regarding the availability of treatment options. “
