A recent study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology suggests that doctor with implicit racial bias negatively affect the communication with, and patient reactions to, medical interactions. According to the site Blavity,

Researchers paired 18 nonblack cancer doctors with 112 new black cancer patients at various hospitals in Detroit. The doctors completed an implicit racial bias measure before having recorded discussions with their patients. The study found that the racially biased doctors spent less time with their patients. Because of this, patients were unable to fully recall the interaction and demonstrated low confidence in recommended treatments. So what does this mean? Distrust and racial bias are related to the action patients will take to seek treatment. To combat the problem, the study suggests that these issues be addressed in training and in practice. For patients, there are possible solutions as well. Whether you have insurance or are a self-pay patient, your doctor is getting some form of compensation to have a conversation with you. Get the full value of your bill. You have the right to get a better understanding of your treatment options and current state of your diagnosis. Also, if a doctor refuses to treat you with respect and offer adequate medical services or assistance, it may be time to contact the state medical board by filing a complaint.

The American Cancer Society notes that more than 90,000 new cancer cases among African Americans are predicted for this year. The implications for such bias are cringeworthy.

Contrast this information with the news from Cuba, as reported by The Root:

“Although Cuba has, for the past five decades, struggled to bring health care to all its citizens in the wake of a U.S. embargo that’s crippled its ability to purchase drugs and medical equipment, it has kept most of its people well because it cannot afford for them to get sick.” [...] “[...] Cuba has taken great steps to build health care around family and community. Physicians and nurses share the same neighborhoods with their patients. If someone isn’t going for checkups, it doesn’t go unnoticed. And its people, the majority of whom are of African descent, still manage to live as long as or longer than many people in the U.S.” [...] “Right now, [the U.S. and Cuba] plan to work together on global health issues such as HIV transmission from mother to child, which Cuba has virtually eliminated, and how to prevent the spread of diseases such as Ebola and dengue fever. Cuba has also developed a drug to treat diabetic-foot patients, a treatment that has been around since 2007 but has yet to be tested in the U.S.” [...] “Yet what the U.S. ought to be working to replicate from Cuba are ways to make primary care doctors more available and accessible to people in poor, mostly black and Latino communities—and then finding ways to persuade people in those communities to use them. Unfortunately, ideology and old habits will likely make that difficult.”

The U.S. could learn a lot from Cuba. The new course of action in diplomacy between the two countries will hopefully make that more visible for all to see.