Study Uncovers Racial Bias in Electronic Health Records

A new study published in Health Affairs reveals extensive racial bias documented in electronic health records (EHR). By analyzing over 40,000 history and physical notes from January 2019 – October 2020, authors Michael Sun and colleagues found that Black patients were 2.54 times more likely to have negative descriptors in their records.

According to the study, “Research and editorial writings by medical providers attest to the common use of terms such as “difficult,” “challenging,” and “resistant” to describe patients. These and similar descriptors are not explicitly stigmatizing terms, but they may impart a negative connotation in the context of describing a patient.”

Read the entire report by clicking here.

(Source: Health Affairs, January 19^th, 2022)