Care After Heart Attack Not Fair
March 21, 2006 by Lei
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
If you’re a woman, a member of a minority group, or one of the elderly, take care to find a doctor who truly understands and respects your special needs. In a recent study, researchers found people in these categories are less likely to receive adequate care after a heart attack. They are often taken to community hospitals which are not equipped to perform bypass and angioplasty procedures.
- African-Americans were 69 percent as likely as Caucasians to be transferred to hospitals that could offer appropriate treatment.
- Hispanics were 53 percent as likely as Caucasians.
- Women were 84 percent as likely as men.
- People ages 65-69 were 25 percent as likely as those 85 to 90.
Are doctors and other healthcare professionals deliberately discriminating against certain patients? Unlikely. But the reasons for these disparities must be found and addressed. Otherwise, you, me, and other people we know will suffer needlessly.
The New York Times, March 21, 2006
