Conscious and subconscious racial bias has
long been recognized as a major contributor to
unequal treatment, often causing unplanned
outcomes in healthcare. A study by former
Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher estimated
that 886,000 African-American lives could
have been saved between the years 1991-2000
by achieving healthcare delivery equity.(1)
One of the most glaring examples is African-American women dying, during or after pregnancy, at three to four times the rate of white women.(2) Also of note is the 40% higher mortality rate from breast cancer even though African-American women get the same number of mammograms as white women.(3) The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology reports these statistics in a recent call to action about ethnic disparities addressed to its membership. There have been many such calls to action by the medical establishment in the past 20 years, yet the mortality gap between black women and white women is getting wider.
The Healthcare Equality Project has developed an educational program called ASK for Your Life which includes solutions, aimed at reducing disparities due to discrimination, subtle or overt, against people of color.
Our Mission: Promoting racial equality in healthcare through a health literacy and patient empowerment program for the Black Community - individuals and families.
Our Vision is for all African Americans to be informed, involved and active participants in their healthcare.
Video Introduction to ASK For Your Life
The program also includes:
• A public service announcement explaining the importance of education and empowerment for African-American patients and their families.
• A set of recommended communication techniques for avoiding or defusing bias in the doctor-patient encounter.
• A set of short “how-to” videos using role-play to dramatize the same techniques combined with health literacy tools.
• A documentary film about how the project and the solutions were developed.
• All will link to each other, a Facebook page, and the website.
Help us empower patients and families to become equal partners and active participants in their healthcare. Involve your group, church, organization or institution in the Healthcare Equality Project by using the educational resources on this website and/or requesting an interactive presentation or workshop.
Support the effort to improve healthcare equality and safety by donating to Pulse CPSEA Healthcare Equality Project.
Donate via Pulse website www.pulsecenterforpatientsafety.org or send check to Pulse CPSEA PO Box 353 Wantagh, NY 11793
Contact: Pulse CPSEA President Ilene Corina — firstname.lastname@example.org, or Pulse CPSEA Chair Leslie Farrington, MD — email@example.com, or call (516)579-4711