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Impact of Racial, Ethnic, and Gender Disparities in Cardiology
Muhammad Daim Bin Zafar1, Yumna Jamil1, Maham Bilal1
1Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan.
Insights
Racial and gender biases create significant underrepresentation in cardiology. Addressing these disparities is crucial for workforce diversity and equitable patient care in cardiovascular medicine.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Medicine
- Medical Education
- Health Equity
Background:
- Racial and gender biases are prevalent in medical subspecialties, including cardiology.
- Significant underrepresentation of Black, Hispanic, and female physicians exists in cardiology compared to their prevalence in the general population.
- These disparities begin early in medical training and impact career progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the extent of racial and gender disparities in the cardiology workforce.
- To discuss the negative consequences of these disparities on physicians and patients.
- To advocate for policies promoting diversity in cardiology.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and analysis of demographic data for cardiologists and the general population in the US.
- Examination of existing studies on gender and racial representation in medical subspecialties.
- Synthesis of information on the impact of disparities on professional equity and patient outcomes.
Main Results:
- Cardiology workforce demographics show underrepresentation of Black (4.71%), Hispanic (8.86%), and women (13%) physicians compared to US population figures.
- Underrepresented physicians experience lower earnings, reduced equity, and increased workplace harassment.
- Patients face unconscious bias from physicians, potentially leading to poorer clinical outcomes.
Conclusions:
- The cardiology field requires urgent attention to address persistent racial and gender disparities.
- Increased awareness and targeted policies are necessary to encourage underrepresented groups to enter and thrive in cardiology.
- Promoting diversity in cardiology is essential for achieving health equity and improving patient care.
Abstract:
Literature shows evidence of racial and gender biases in many sub-specialties of medicine including cardiology. Racial, ethnic, and gender disparities exist along the path to cardiology residency, beginning as early as medical school admissions. Approximately 65.62% White, 4.71% Black, 18.06% Asian, and 8.86% Hispanic are cardiologists, while there are a total of 60.1% White, 12.2% Black, 5.6% Asian, and 18.5% Hispanic people in the United States in 2019, showing evident underrepresentation. Gender disparities have an inevitable role in the lack of a diverse cardiovascular workforce. According to a recent study, only 13% of practicing cardiologists in the United States are women, even though the female population in the United States is 50.52% as compared to 49.48% of men. These disparities led to under-represented physicians earning less than their similarly qualified counterparts, decreased equity, increased workplace harassment, and also results in patients facing unconscious bias from their physicians leading to deteriorated clinical outcomes. Implications in the field of research include the under-representation of minorities and the female population despite the increased burden of cardiovascular disease they face. However, efforts are underway to eradicate the disparities that exist in cardiology. This paper aims to increase awareness regarding the issue and inform future policies with the goal of encouraging underrepresented communities to join the cardiology workforce.
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