Nikhita Jagathesan

Expanding the Equation: Exploring the Links Between Academia, Medicine, and Public Policy in Regards to Racial Disparities within Healthcare

Started Sept. 2, 2023

Abstract or project description

People of color consistently receive a lower quality of healthcare than their white counterparts. They are more likely to be subjected to painful medical procedures without the appropriate epidurals, be denied critical transplants, and be misdiagnosed. It’s easy to place the blame for this issue on one aspect of the system that has kept these harmful practices in circulation. However, doing so will never result in an effective plan of action to reduce the prevalence of these racial disparities as the overlooked sources of these racial disparities would continue operating as normal. By isolating each variable in this equation, and then analyzing them in a comprehensive lens that takes into account the other aspects of this issue, I hope to foster interdisciplinary conversation and action to lessen the prevalence and impact of racial disparities in healthcare.

“Expanding the Equation: Exploring the Links between Academia, Medicine, and Public Policy in Regards to Racial Disparities within Healthcare” is my exploration of the process in which racial disparities are perpetuated. From medical students being unknowingly taught biased or uninformed curricula, to medical practitioners enacting harmful practices on patients, to government policies that restrict forward progress. I begin by establishing the historical context behind why these racial disparities came to be in the first place. My research then delves into the specific manner in which each of these elements relates to the modern experiences of people of color in medical spaces. Within my analysis of each of these elements, I look into existing efforts to curb these disparities and dissect reasons they may not have been completely successful as well as admirable efforts to do so that could potentially be scaled up. I conclude with my recommendations to reduce the prevalence of these disparities, and a summation of my lessons learned through this research.