Nearly 11 percent of Black patients say they've experienced discrimination by a healthcare provider or their staff, according to an April 5 analysis from Urban Institute, a left-leaning think tank.
The research, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, is based on responses from a nationally representative group of 4,007 U.S. adults surveyed between Sept. 11 and Sept. 28, 2020.
Overall, Urban Institute found Black adults (10.6 percent) were more likely to report having been discriminated against or judged unfairly by a healthcare provider than white adults (3.6 percent) or Latinx adults (4.5 percent).
Black women reported the highest rate of discrimination (13.1 percent) of all race/ethnicity and gender groups. Adults with lower incomes were also more likely to report discrimination or unfair judgment.
"These patterns are concerning given that healthcare disruptions and suboptimal quality that result from unfair treatment can lead people to delay or forgo care, to search for a new provider, and to experience adverse health consequences," Urban Institute wrote.
The organization said policy and practice changes are needed to eliminate this well-documented pattern of systematically worse treatment for patients of color.
To view the full report, click here.