Submitted by Viki
The Hippocratic Oath is one of the oldest codes of ethics and sets the moral baseline for medical professionals. But did you know that the Hippocratic Oath has been changed several times to reflect the advancement of social values? As societies develop, so should our medical services. Unfortunately, it is easy to recognize the benefits of diversity but much more complicated to uphold the values of inclusion and equity. Even today, women and those from minority races are chronically underserviced in many levels of healthcare.
This Will Only Hurt a Bit
As the regulatory body for new drugs, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recommended that participants in clinical trials are sourced from diverse backgrounds. However, the suggestion is not enforced and so the situation remains largely unremedied. Because individuals of various ages, genders, races, and ethnicities may have different reactions to medicines, homogenous drug trials can result in medications that are less effective—or even more harmful—to certain races and genders.
According to the 2020 FDA Drug Trials Snapshots Summary Report, 53 novel drugs were approved after clinical trials in the US. During these trials, an average of 75 percent of participants were white. Trials for Nexletol, a treatment for high LDL cholesterol, had a 96 percent white and 3 percent Black participant body. With African-American patients, in particular women, at a higher risk of dying from cardiovascular problems compared to any other racial or ethnic demographic, such underrepresentation could be life-threatening.
Emerging drugs aside, there are a multitude of easily available legal drugs on the marketplace that disproportionately harm the physical and mental health of women. The unassuming female contraceptive pill has numerous known side effects such as depression, muscle pain, acne, and blood clots. While these side effects were deemed too risky for male contraception and even the COVID-19 vaccine, women are expected to bear the perils of avoiding pregnancy as they partake in activities that involve both genders.
Much of the prejudice from the male-dominated medical industry of the Victorian Era has been passed down to the modern day. The view of women as more accepting of pain is a symptom of the widespread pain bias in the healthcare industry. Women who visit emergency departments with acute pain have been shown to wait significantly longer than men to be addressed by doctors. They are also less likely to be given effective opioid painkillers and more likely to be dismissed as non-urgent or psychiatric cases.
The lack of equality in medical healthcare is not so much active maliciousness as it is an unconscious desire to bury challenging social issues. Another manifestation of this is the treatment of our military personnel. Many of the medications prescribed by doctors for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) come with debatable results and dangerous side effects such as increased suicidal ideation. Doctors liberally prescribe sedatives such as benzodiazepines to veterans despite the drugs being known to be highly addictive and unsuitable for long-term use.
Doctor, Doctor, Give Me the News
In light of the evidence, the odds of Americans having an equitable and progressive healthcare system may seem rather dire. However, there have been some changes in both the medical profession and mainstream viewpoints that are indicating a paradigm shift.
More research has been undertaken recently to examine the ways that cannabinoids may assist in the treatment of PTSD. This supports the long-time claims from PTSD sufferers that cannabis use helps to manage their illness and paves the way for the validation of medical cannabis treatment. As the second most prevalent active ingredient in cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD) is sometimes used to address anxiety, suppress traumatic memories, and relieve chronic pain. There are now many varieties of real CBD oil for sale legally online and in specialized dispensaries, offering non-addictive alternatives to benzodiazepines.
The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the negative effects of the lack of equity in our healthcare system. Faced with the undeniable evidence, decision-makers have reacted with a stronger commitment to creating a more diverse and inclusive medical service. One of the effects of this is the recently signed House Bill 183 in Florida. Coupled with a 4.4 million dollar budget increase, the bill hopes to give the state’s Office of Minority Health and Health Equity a more powerful mandate to improve inequities in the healthcare system.
On other fronts, the battle over women’s reproductive freedom and right to essential healthcare continues to rage across the nation. In the first half of this year, hundreds of regressive anti-abortion measures have been introduced in some states with the view to push the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. Other states are fighting back, however, with New Mexico repealing the abortion ban and Delaware introducing a bill to decriminalize the procedure. New Mexico’s population includes over 28 ethnic groups and the diverse state is setting an example of how inclusion and equity must connect to basic rights.
In the medical profession itself, leaders are hoping that institutional change at the academic level can help to foster the diversity of medical professionals. According to a 2018 study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, 56.2 percent of active physicians in the US are white and 64.1 percent are male. With the growing evidence that minorities obtain better healthcare outcomes from doctors with similar backgrounds, it is important to assess the barriers for minorities to enter and graduate from medical schools.
As the US on the whole tries to create a better environment for all its citizens, we need to support campaigns that defend basic rights and fight for equal treatment. Just as the Hippocratic Oath has evolved, may the medical industry also be at the forefront of positive social change.