Nearly half of surveyed U.S. health care workers said they witnessed discrimination and racism against patients in hospitals, clinics, and other health care facilities.
Health Care Workers Often Witness Racism and Discrimination at Their Jobs
February 15, 2024
A new report from the Commonwealth Fund and the African American Research Collaborative reveals widespread racism and discrimination across U.S. health care facilities. The findings come from a first-of-its-kind national survey of more than 3,000 health care workers, providing rare insider perspectives on how discrimination affects health care staff and patients alike.
Some key findings:
Nearly half of health care workers nationwide have witnessed discrimination against patients in their facilities, while 44 percent have observed coworkers subjected to racism.
Fifty-seven percent said patients are treated differently based on their race and ethnicity.
Younger health care workers and workers of color were more likely than their older or white counterparts to acknowledge witnessing discrimination.
A majority of Black, Latino, or Asian American and Pacific Islander workers worry about retaliation if they raise discrimination concerns.
Get the report for additional survey findings and to learn about solutions that health care workers say could make a difference.
