Discrimination in health and social care

Elizabeth Pfeiffer
Sara Mendez
Arshdeep Kaur
Nathaniel Glasser

The presentations in this session explored how patients who receive or could receive social care in healthcare settings experience discrimination in diverse settings, and how such experiences are linked to other aspects of patient experience and wellbeing. Moderated by Nancy Pandhi, with reflections by discussant Ann Reynoso.

1. "Evaluating Associations between Patient/Caregiver Experiences of Healthcare Discrimination and Trust in Provider" by Arshdeep Kaur (California University of Science and Medicine)

Discrimination in healthcare settings is linked to lower trust in healthcare providers; a potential byproduct of social risk screening is helping providers strengthen relationships with patients and build trust. Social care programs must avoid (re)traumatizing patients through experiences of discrimination, and must work to build trust.

2. “Uncovering intersecting forms of discrimination during a social care program in a community health center in Rhode Island” by Elizabeth Pfeiffer and Sara Mendez (Rhode Island College)

This presentation will describe a qualitative research project that explored why it is that people decline social care assistance after they indicate that they have social needs in clinic settings. Prioritizing the perspectives and lived experiences of the patient participants interviewed during this study, we will highlight the key finding that intersecting forms of discrimination—across the lines of race and ethnicity, language, immigration status, and socioeconomic status—served as a barrier to patients’ accepting social care assistance.

3. “Impact of experiences of discrimination on self-efficacy among parents and other primary caregivers of hospitalized children” by Nathaniel Glasser (University of Chicago)

Parents who report more frequent experiences of discrimination during a child’s hospitalization are more likely to display lower self-confidence in their ability to find healthful community resources. While there are many possible explanations for the association, the finding is concerning given broad overlap between those who report experiencing discrimination and those with health related social-needs.