Risk of Poor Skin Cancer Outcomes in Racial and Ethnic Minority Group Patients

Racial and ethnic minority groups are less likely to feel that their doctor shows respect, listens, and explains during clinical encounters, which may contribute to an increased risk of poor skin cancer outcomes in these patients, according to a study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Researchers aimed to investigate whether racial and ethnic disparities exist in the perception of physicians showing respect, listening, and explaining during clinical encounters in a cross-sectional study. Data from participants with a self-reported skin cancer history from the 2008 to 2017 and 2019 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey were used in this study.

A total of 5570 participants that included 5263 non-Hispanic White and 307 racial and ethnic minority individuals were involved in the study. Racial and ethnic minority group participants had 44% lower odds of reporting respect from physicians and 53% lower odds of reporting a through explanation of their health during clinical encounters compared with non-Hispanic White participants. 

“In this nationally representative, cross-sectional study, skin cancer patients in racial and ethnic minority groups were less likely to feel that their doctors respect, listen to, and explain to them compared to NHW patients,” concluded the study authors.

Reference
Fahmy LM, Schreidah CM, Geskin LJ. Racial and ethnic disparities in the perception of respect from physicians among skin cancer patients in the United States. JAAD Int. 2023;11:78-82. doi:10.1016/j.jdin.2023.01.009