https://goo.gl/RwJbwb
Healthcare disparities are inequalities that exist when members of certain populations do not benefit from the same health status as other groups. Historically, cradle-to-grave disparities have been an ongoing tragedy for African Americans. This includes not only the high percentages in disease rankings such as heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes, but also procedures such as pain treatment.
One example is the hospital emergency room waiting time to see a physician for African Americans compared to whites with pain symptoms that suggest acute coronary syndrome. An analysis of the National Hospital and Ambulatory Care Survey data was conducted on adults with visits related to acute coronary syndrome. Adjusted average differences in waiting times (time to see a physician) for African Americans and whites were compared.
A total of 15,438 visits related to acute coronary syndrome symptoms were made during the 7-year study period. Among patients going to the emergency room with symptoms suggesting acute coronary syndrome, African Americans waited 30% longer to receive care compared to whites. In addition, this difference in waiting time persisted during the study period, even after the implementation of the Healthy People initiative to eliminate disparities such as this.