Subconscious Biases in Medicine Lean Away from the Poor and Uneducated

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Socioeconomic status may serve as a determinant of whether patients seek or have access to treatment for weight management, according to a study from Mayo Clinic, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and the University of Michigan, Essentia Health and Allina Health. The findings were reported at the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) Annual Scientific and Clinical Congress held in Los Angeles last week.

The study included 2,339 patients who completed a survey. Of these, 28.7 percent were overweight and the rest were classified as obese. Patients who earned less than $50,000 annually “reported that their PCP was less likely to have a current role in their weight management, and that they were less likely to be treated as an equal by their healthcare provider.”

Patients with a high school degree or less were less likely to feel respected, “believed that their PCP should have a role in their weight management, has a current role in their weight management, and spent enough time with them providing weight loss advice.”

REFERENCE:  “Social Determinants of Health Strongly Influence the Patient-Health Care Provider Experience in Overweight and Obesity.”