Do Marginalized Communities Have Female-Specific Diagnostic Test Disparities?
More Programs and Publications Featuring Dana Powell Baker
In this program:
What does data show about female-specific diagnostic test disparities in marginalized communities? Dana Powell Baker explains some stigmas that persist in healthcare settings and advice for patients to ensure they receive essential female-specific diagnostic tests.
Transcript
Dana Powell Baker:
I believe that for some of our patients, barriers that do exist for women from marginalized and underserved communities when it comes to accessing female-specific diagnostic tests can also stem from just the lack of information that may be provided or even I would say symptom recognition. There have been some recent cases, even in my personal life where I've had loved ones that have gone to get testing or have sought out medical treatment, describe their symptoms, and they were essentially given the inappropriate diagnostic test, one that wasn't specific or related to the concerns that they stated or shared during that clinical encounter. And I feel like there are still some stigmas that continue to persist. One being our level of pain tolerance and when we report in saying that we hurt or we say that our pain is so intense, that that pain level that we may be describing can be overlooked and has been reported as being overlooked. And many clinical encounters, especially when it comes to marginalized communities.
And so really being able to, I would say, accept at face value what that patient is expressing. If they're saying, "I am in pain, my pain is a 10 out of 10," really taking that into consideration when we look at symptoms, what is happening with this patient beyond what we're thinking and observing what are the other possible differential diagnoses and what will help us differentiate those diagnoses? And so really looking at tests in a way to help solve that riddle. And, unfortunately, in all these cases that doesn't always happen. And so sometimes these patients are sent back home without the appropriate diagnostic test that could have appropriately diagnosed that patient or really given them the treatment plan that was needed to address that concern.
And, unfortunately, in some cases, by the time we do discover the true diagnosis of that patient, it could be too little too late. And so, again, being our own advocate, being vocal about our concerns, if we go to one clinical encounter and we don't feel like our concerns have been adequately addressed, or you're still hurting beyond the diagnostic tests that were provided and the follow-up treatment or monitoring that stemmed from that encounter, being able to get that second, third opinion if needed to, again, continue to ask and demand that you be heard and that the concerns that you have are valid and that treatment is needed, and that appropriate diagnostic tests are a part of that clinical picture to help ensure that patients of marginalized and underserved communities are receiving the adequate and quality care that they so deserve.
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