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Shah N, Qazi R, Chu XP. Unraveling the Tapestry of Pain: A Comprehensive Review of Ethnic Variations, Cultural Influences, and Physiological Mechanisms in Pain Management and Perception. Cureus 2024; 16:e60692. [PMID: 38899250 PMCID: PMC11186588 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The medical management of pain is a nuanced challenge influenced by sociocultural, demographic, and ethical factors. This review explores the intricate interplay of these dimensions in shaping pain perception and treatment outcomes. Sociocultural elements, encompassing cultural beliefs, language, societal norms, and healing practices, significantly impact individuals' pain experiences across societies. Gender expectations further shape these experiences, influencing reporting and responses. Patient implications highlight age-related and socioeconomic disparities in pain experiences, particularly among the elderly, with challenges in managing chronic pain and socioeconomic factors affecting access to care. Healthcare provider attitudes and biases contribute to disparities in pain management across racial and ethnic groups. Ethical considerations, especially in opioid use, raise concerns about subjective judgments and potential misuse. The evolving landscape of placebo trials adds complexity, emphasizing the importance of understanding psychological and cultural factors. In conclusion, evidence-based guidelines, multidisciplinary approaches, and tailored interventions are crucial for effective pain management. By acknowledging diverse influences on pain experiences, clinicians can provide personalized care, dismantle systemic barriers, and contribute to closing knowledge gaps, impacting individual and public health, well-being, and overall quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neelay Shah
- Neurology, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, USA
| | - Rida Qazi
- Neurology, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, USA
| | - Xiang-Ping Chu
- Biomedical Sciences, University of Missouri Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, USA
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2
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Futterman J, Bi C, Crow B, Kureshi S, Okah E. Medical educators' perception of race in clinical practice. BMC MEDICAL EDUCATION 2024; 24:230. [PMID: 38439004 PMCID: PMC10913645 DOI: 10.1186/s12909-024-05232-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While several medical societies endorse race as a social construct, it is still often used as a biological trait in medical education. How medical educators employ race while teaching is likely impacted by their beliefs as to what race represents and its relevance in clinical care. Understanding these beliefs is necessary to guide medical education curriculum reform. METHODS This was a qualitative survey study, conducted in June 2020, of Georgetown University Medical Center faculty. As part of the survey, faculty were asked to rate, on a 5-point Likert scale, the extent to which they perceived race as a biological trait and its importance in clinical care. Self-identified clinical or preclinical faculty (N = 147) who believed that race had any importance were asked to provide an example illustrating its significance. Free-text responses were coded using content analysis with an inductive approach and contextualized by faculty's perspectives on the biological significance of race. RESULTS There were 130 (88%) responses categorized into two major themes: race is important for [1] screening, diagnosing, and treating diseases and [2] contextualizing patients' experiences and health behaviors. Compared to faculty who perceived race as biological, those who viewed race as strictly social were more likely to report using race to understand or acknowledge patients' exposure to racism. However, even among these faculty, explanations that suggested biological differences between racial groups were prevalent. CONCLUSIONS Medical educators use race primarily to understand diseases and frequently described biological differences between racial groups. Efforts to reframe race as sociopolitical may require education that examines race through a global lens, accounting for the genetic and cultural variability that occurs within racial groups; greater awareness of the association between structural racism and health inequities; movement away from identity-based risk stratification; and incorporation of tools that appraise race-based medical literature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Brendan Crow
- Mountain Area Health Education Center, Asheville, NC, USA
| | - Sarah Kureshi
- Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ebiere Okah
- Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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Willer BL, Alalade E, Toledo P, Jimenez N. Pro-Con Debate: Perioperative Research Should Be Color-Blind. Anesth Analg 2023; 137:967-972. [PMID: 37862397 DOI: 10.1213/ane.0000000000006258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Profound racial and ethnic disparities have been documented in health and health care outcomes in recent decades. Some researchers have erroneously ascribed these inequities to biological variations, prompting debate as to how, or even if, race and ethnicity should be included as an outcome variable. Color blindness is a racial ideology with roots in constitutional law that posits that equality is best achieved by disregarding the racial and ethnic characteristics of the individual. Color consciousness, in contrast, approaches disparities with the knowledge that experiences related to one's race and ethnicity influence an individual's health and well-being. In this Pro-Con commentary article, we discuss the concept of color blindness and debate its use as an approach in medicine and research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany L Willer
- From the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio
| | - Emmanuel Alalade
- Department of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Paloma Toledo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Nathalia Jimenez
- Department of Anesthesiology, Seattle Children's Hospital, Seattle, Washington
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Okah E, Cronholm PF, Crow B, Persaud A, Westby A, Bonham VL. Race-Based Care and Beliefs Regarding the Etiology of Racial Differences in Health Outcomes. Am J Prev Med 2023; 64:477-482. [PMID: 36935165 PMCID: PMC10031413 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2022.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Physicians' perspectives regarding the etiology of racial health differences may be associated with their use of race in clinical practice (race-based practice). This study evaluates whether attributing racial differences in health to genetics, culture, or social conditions is associated with race-based practice. METHODS This is a cross-sectional analysis, conducted in 2022, of the Council of Academic Family Medicine Education Research Alliance 2021 general membership survey. Only actively practicing U.S. physicians were included. The survey included demographic questions; the Racial Attributes in Clinical Evaluation (RACE) scale (higher scores imply greater race-based practice); and 3 questions regarding beliefs that racial differences in genetics, culture (e.g., health beliefs), or social conditions (e.g., education) explained racial differences in health. Three multivariable linear regressions were used to evaluate the relationship between RACE scores and beliefs regarding the etiology of racial differences in health. RESULTS Of the 4,314 survey recipients, 949 (22%) responded, of whom 689 were actively practicing U.S. physicians. In multivariable regressions controlling for age, gender, race, ethnicity, and practice characteristics, a higher RACE score was associated with a greater belief that differences in genetics (β=3.57; 95% CI=3.19, 3.95) and culture (β=1.57; 95% CI=0.99, 2.16)-in but not social conditions-explained differences in health. CONCLUSIONS Physicians who believed that genetic or cultural differences between racial groups explained racial differences in health outcomes were more likely to use race in clinical care. Further research is needed to determine how race is differentially applied in clinical care on the basis of the belief in its genetic or cultural significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebiere Okah
- Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
| | - Peter F Cronholm
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; The Center for Public Health Initiatives, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Brendan Crow
- Family Medicine Residency Program, Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC), Asheville, North Carolina
| | - Anitra Persaud
- Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Andrea Westby
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, School of Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Vence L Bonham
- National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, Maryland
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Bakkum MJ, Verdonk P, Thomas EG, van Rosse F, Okorie M, Papaioannidou P, Likic R, Sanz EJ, Christiaens T, Costa JN, Dima L, de Ponti F, van Smeden J, van Agtmael MA, Richir MC, Tichelaar J. A Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Teacher's Guide to Race-Based Medicine, Inclusivity, and Diversity. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2023; 113:600-606. [PMID: 36325997 DOI: 10.1002/cpt.2786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The relationship between race and biology is complex. In contemporary medical science, race is a social construct that is measured via self-identification of study participants. But even though race has no biological essence, it is often used as variable in medical guidelines (e.g., treatment recommendations specific for Black people with hypertension). Such recommendations are based on clinical trials in which there was a significant correlation between self-identified race and actual, but often unmeasured, health-related factors such as (pharmaco)genetics, diet, sun exposure, etc. Many teachers are insufficiently aware of this complexity. In their classes, they (unintentionally) portray self-reported race as having a biological essence. This may cause students to see people of shared race as biologically or genetically homogeneous, and believe that race-based recommendations are true for all individuals (rather than reflecting the average of a heterogeneous group). This medicalizes race and reinforces already existing healthcare disparities. Moreover, students may fail to learn that the relation between race and health is easily biased by factors such as socioeconomic status, racism, ancestry, and environment and that this limits the generalizability of race-based recommendations. We observed that the clinical case vignettes that we use in our teaching contain many stereotypes and biases, and do not generally reflect the diversity of actual patients. This guide, written by clinical pharmacology and therapeutics teachers, aims to help our colleagues and teachers in other health professions to reflect on and improve our teaching on race-based medical guidelines and to make our clinical case vignettes more inclusive and diverse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiel J Bakkum
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section Pharmacotherapy, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Research and Expertise Centre in Pharmacotherapy Education, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Petra Verdonk
- Department of Ethics, Law and Humanities, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elias G Thomas
- Department of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics Section, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Floor van Rosse
- Erasmus Medical Centre, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Hospital Pharmacy, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Michael Okorie
- Clinical Pharmacology and Medical Education, Department of Medical Education, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Brighton, UK
| | - Paraskevi Papaioannidou
- European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education Working Group, Athens, Greece.,Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Robert Likic
- European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education Working Group, Athens, Greece.,Unit of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Zagreb School of Medicine and Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Emilio J Sanz
- European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education Working Group, Athens, Greece.,Universidad de La Laguna, School of Health Sciences, Tenerife, Spain and Hospital Universitario de Canarias, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
| | - Thierry Christiaens
- European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education Working Group, Athens, Greece.,Section Clinical Pharmacology, Heymans Institute of Pharmacology Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - João N Costa
- European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education Working Group, Athens, Greece.,Laboratory of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Lorena Dima
- European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education Working Group, Athens, Greece.,Department of Fundamental Disciplines and Clinical Prevention, Faculty of Medicine, Transilvania University of Brașov, Brașov, Romania
| | - Fabrizio de Ponti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Pharmacology Unit, Alma Mater Studiorum, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Jeroen van Smeden
- Division of Education, Centre for Human Drug Research, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Michiel A van Agtmael
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section Pharmacotherapy, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Research and Expertise Centre in Pharmacotherapy Education, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education Working Group, Athens, Greece
| | - Milan C Richir
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section Pharmacotherapy, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education Working Group, Athens, Greece
| | - Jelle Tichelaar
- Department of Internal Medicine, Section Pharmacotherapy, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Research and Expertise Centre in Pharmacotherapy Education, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,European Association for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics Education Working Group, Athens, Greece
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Wen JT, Massoud TF. Time to Rectify Colorblindness in Medical Research with Standardized Cohort Reporting. Am J Med 2023; 136:405-407. [PMID: 36754131 PMCID: PMC9901225 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2023.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica T Wen
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif.
| | - Tarik F Massoud
- Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, Calif
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Dayo E, Christy K, Habte R. Health in colour: black women, racism, and maternal health. LANCET REGIONAL HEALTH. AMERICAS 2023; 17:100408. [PMID: 36531129 PMCID: PMC9735204 DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Dayo
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada,Corresponding author. University of Calgary, Cumming School of Medicine, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kayonne Christy
- Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Ruth Habte
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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Okah E, Glover L, Donahue KE, Corbie-Smith G, Dave G. Physicians' Perceptions of Race and Engagement in Race-Based Clinical Practice: a Mixed-Methods Systematic Review and Narrative Synthesis. J Gen Intern Med 2022; 37:3989-3998. [PMID: 35867305 PMCID: PMC9640482 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-022-07737-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Using race-a socially assigned identity that does not adequately capture human genetic variation-to guide clinical care can result in poor outcomes for racially minoritized patients. This study assessed (1) how physicians conceptualize and use race in their clinical care (race-based care) and (2) physician characteristics associated with race-based care. METHODS PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and Scopus databases were searched. Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies written in peer-reviewed, English-language journal articles evaluating US physicians' perceptions of race and physician factors associated with race-based care were included. Risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. Qualitative studies were evaluated using thematic analysis, and quantitative findings were summarized and combined with qualitative findings in a narrative synthesis. RESULTS A total of 1149 articles were identified; 9 (4 qualitative, 5 quantitative) studies met inclusion criteria. Five themes emerged: (1) the belief in race as biological; (2) the use of race to contextualize patients' health; (3) the use of race to counsel patients and determine care; (4) justifications for race-based practice (evidence-based, personal experience, addresses disparities, provides personalized care, increases compliance); and (5) concerns with race-based practice (poorly characterizes patients, normalizes disparities, patient distrust, clinician discomfort, legitimized biological race). In quantitative studies, older age was positively associated with race-based care. DISCUSSION Physicians had varied perceptions of race, but many believed race was biological. Concern and support for race-based practice were related to beliefs regarding the evidence for using race in care and the appropriateness of race as a variable in medical research. Older physicians were more likely to use race, which could be due to increased exposure to race-based medical literature, in addition to generational differences in conceptualizations of race. Additional research on the evolution of physicians' perceptions of race, and the role of medical literature in shaping these perceptions, is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ebiere Okah
- Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, NC, , Chapel Hill, USA.
- Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, NC, , Chapel Hill, USA.
| | - LáShauntá Glover
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina, NC, , Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Katrina E Donahue
- Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, NC, , Chapel Hill, USA
- Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina, NC, , Chapel Hill, USA
| | - Giselle Corbie-Smith
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, NC, , Chapel Hill, USA
- Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, NC, , Chapel Hill, USA
- Center for Health Equity Research, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,, NC, USA
| | - Gaurav Dave
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, NC, , Chapel Hill, USA
- Department of Social Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, NC, , Chapel Hill, USA
- Center for Health Equity Research, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill,, NC, USA
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