Question

Dr. Williams walks into an examination room and finds a new black male patient waiting to see him. Based on research cited in your text, what would likely happen in this situation?

a. Dr. Williams will not be affected by the patient's race.
b. Dr. Williams will be more likely to look for symptoms typically associated with blacks.
c. Dr. Williams will avoid looking for symptoms typically associated with blacks.
d. Dr. Williams will refuse to treat the black patient.

Answer 1

Dr. Williams is likely to look for symptoms typically associated with blacks (option b), influenced by an awareness of health disparities and historical experiences of African Americans in healthcare.

Step-by-step explanation:

Based on the provided research context, the likely response in the scenario where Dr. Williams walks into an examination room and finds a new black male patient waiting to see him, is (b) Dr. Williams will be more likely to look for symptoms typically associated with blacks. This is due to the historical mistrust and health disparities rooted in systemic racism and longstanding discrimination in healthcare.

Historical experiences of African Americans in the healthcare system have led to significant health disparities and mistrust, particularly because of incidents like the Tuskegee Experiment and overall discrimination by healthcare providers. A physician's awareness of such disparities might influence them to look for certain symptoms more prevalent in the African American population. However, this awareness must be balanced with the need to avoid stereotyping and to provide individualized care to each patient.

Addressing health disparities and building trust require open discussions about race and the impact of historical discrimination in healthcare, alongside improvements in health equity and literacy.