NHS and Ethnicity

[BoldonLad]

One of my grandchildren received the below txt message from GP Surgery:

Rather an odd question to ask a 15 year old, I would have thought. He does have a "brown face".

 

[multitool]

I'm not sure it is such a strange question. There are huge issues will access to healthcare amongst certain ethnic groups (eg vaccine take up amongst Asian community)

It's also how we find out about patterns of health inequality (eg infant mortality at child birth amongst black community)

 

[BoldonLad]

I'm not sure it is such a strange question. There are huge issues will access to healthcare amongst certain ethnic groups (eg vaccine take up amongst Asian community)

It's also how we find out about patterns of health inequality (eg infant mortality at child birth amongst black community)

But, does it help us find out WHY these inequalities exist?

 

[Ian H]

But, does it help us find out WHY these inequalities exist?

How do they know they exist if they don't do the research?

 

[multitool]

You have to find out the inequalities before you can find out why, surely?

 

[BoldonLad]

You have to find out the inequalities before you can find out why, surely?

You have just told me that the inequalities exist?

 

[multitool]

You have just told me that the inequalities exist?

Dear God BL

We know there are health inequalities because of population data on those who access healthcare, those who don't, and outcomes.

 

[winjim]

If it's the age which concerns you, a 15 year old will be transitioning to adult care. Come 16 they're a grown up as far as healthcare provision is concerned.

But yeah, it's useful to know the population you're providing services for. 🤷‍♂️

 

[BoldonLad]

If it's the age which concerns you, a 15 year old will be transitioning to adult care. Come 16 they're a grown up as far as healthcare provision is concerned.

But yeah, it's useful to know the population you're providing services for. 🤷‍♂️

I said 15 because he is nearing 15, but, at present, actually 14

 

[BoldonLad]

Dear God BL

We know there are health inequalities because of population data on those who access healthcare, those who don't, and outcomes.

I don’t get you exasperation?, if we know about the inequalities, and, even I have heard on news about various ethnic inequalities (eg vaccine uptake etc), then, why have questionnaires on it. Just seems like waste to me, and, we are told NHS is short of £s

 

[winjim]

I don’t get you exasperation?, if we know about the inequalities, and, even I have heard on news about various ethnic inequalities (eg vaccine uptake etc), then, why have questionnaires on it. Just seems like waste to me, and, we are told NHS is short of £s

Have we fixed the inequalities?

 

[multitool]

I don’t get you exasperation?, if we know about the inequalities, and, even I have heard on news about various ethnic inequalities (eg vaccine uptake etc), then, why have questionnaires on it. Just seems like waste to me, and, we are told NHS is short of £s

We know about the inequalities because of the questionnaires.

And we need further questionnaires to see if measures to correct the inequalities have worked, or if the nature of inequalities has changed.

Let me give you a theoretical example. Imagine if it was noted in maternity wards that Chinese people had higher rates of birth defects. If it was suspected that this was due to a lack of pre-natal care, how would you find out if Chinese people were accessing the care?

 

[AndyRM]

I don't really understand the issue here? It's pretty standard to ask about your ethnicity when it comes to healthcare.

 

[Psamathe]

Whilst I don't know the specifics, risk of quite a few conditions correlates with ethnic background eg high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes. Maybe they are trying to ensure higher risk groups are monitored better for specific risks eg groups with risk of higher blood pressure have the BP taken on GP visits as a sort of screening?

That said, if I had received such an invite I'd be doing the following before doing any more than reading the messasge
(for starters)
1. Check it's not a SCAM ie who is it really from (risk it's collecting info for identity theft).
2. Check with practice as to why they were seeking this information
3. Check with surgery about privacy of collected information (eg anonymised or personally identifiable)
4. Who will the info be passed to (ever) eg sold to corporations.
etc.

But I do recognise I'm particularly cautions and protective when it comes to privacy of my data.

Ian

 

[Regular.Cyclist]

Ethnic bias even exists within medical devices themselves.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-action-to-tackle-ethnic-and-other-biases-in-medical-devices

It began with research into SpO2 monitor, where data from studies which developed and enhanced the technology were shown to be heavily biased towards caucasian test subjects meaning that the devices themselves gave erroneously readings in other ethnic groups.