Profession
AMA asks doctors to assess specific disparity issues in their practices
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted July 18, 2005
The American Medical Association House of Delegates adopted new policy calling on physicians to reduce racial and ethnic health care disparities in their practices by examining issues such as language barriers, cultural and ethnic characteristics and biased behavior.
The policy adopted at the AMA Annual Meeting last month stated that physicians must strive to offer the same quality of care to all of their patients. Doctors also must learn to recognize racial and ethnic disparities and to look at their own practices.
Physicians should engage in participatory decision-making, and the medical profession should work to increase the diversity of the physician work force and promote awareness of health care disparities, according to the new policy.
"The medical community has made great strides in reducing disparities, and the AMA's new policy reflects an understanding that each and every physician can help by increased awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences in their practices," AMA Trustee Peter W. Carmel, MD, said in a statement.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2005/07/18/prbf0718.htm.
