Black people face racism and worse health outcomes in hospitals. It’s time to document it
Like police officers, doctors and nurses make life-and-death decisions. Yet the disproportionately poor and racist care that leads to the harm and death of Black patients largely goes unchecked. If more police are wearing body cameras, doctors and nurses should, too. After all, if health care professionals aren’t engaging in racist behavior, there should be no problem.As a physician, I have witnessed countless racist behaviors toward Black patients, often coupled with conscious and cruel statements. I have heard White nurses joke that young Black children will probably join gangs and doctors describe the natural hair of Black people as “wild” and “unkempt.” I have seen Black patients unnecessarily physically restrained. I have stood in the emergency department as a Black teenager died from a gunshot wound while White staff chuckled, saying he was “just another criminal.”
What if doctors wore body cameras? - The Boston Globe
Body camera footage is linked to reduced police brutality. If it might do the same for the racism and medical brutality Black patients face, it’s worth a try.
www.bostonglobe.com
This seems like an exceedingly stupid idea.