Health disparities among Black and brown patients exist across nearly every aspect of medicine, and dermatology is no exception. The healthcare system has struggled to accurately diagnose and treat skin conditions in patients with melanated skin because historically, medical textbooks showcase how illnesses appear on white skin. This often leads to misdiagnosis and delayed care for Black and brown patients. The Black and Brown Skin website is working to close this gap, to ensure minority patients receive accurate dermatological diagnoses and appropriate treatment, using a quiz as a talking point.
The lack of diverse representation in medical research and training has led to a healthcare system primarily centered on people with European ancestry, leaving people of color underrepresented. Because clinical trial participants have historically been predominantly white, clinical guidelines, research, and diagnostic tools have been developed with this population in mind.
This lack of diversity in the field of dermatology, has led to disparities in care, as many doctors are trained to recognize how conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and melanoma present on white primarily skin, causing delayed diagnoses for Black and Brown patients.
Test Your Health Equity Knowledge
As a second-year medical student at St. George’s University of London, Malone Mukwende recognized the lack of representation in how skin conditions are taught and diagnosed on melanated skin. Determined to address this gap, he sought to raise awareness and improve medical education.
Mukwende explained to BME Medics, “On arrival at medical school I noticed the lack of teaching in darker skin. We were often being taught to look for symptoms such as red rashes which I was aware would not appear as described in my own skin. When flagging this to tutors it was clear that they didn’t know of any other way to describe these conditions on patients of darker skin tones and I knew that I had to make a change to that.”
This realization led him to create Mind the Gap, a handbook designed to teach healthcare providers how various medical conditions appear on different skin tones. Mukwende soon expanded his efforts into the Black and Brown Skin website, which offers resources and images to aid in the identification and diagnosis of skin conditions as well as a crucial learning tool: a health equity quiz.
The quiz is designed to help healthcare professionals, policymakers, educators, and advocates test their knowledge of the history of systemic racism in medicine; from unethical experiments to lack of diversity in research and racial bias.
How to Take the Quiz
The Health Equity Quiz can be found on Google Forms, and upon completion, participants will have the opportunity to enroll in a Health Equity Course at a 25% discount. This course offers over three hours of video content, including interviews and expert discussions on improving healthcare for diverse populations.
By committing to learning how medical conditions present in diverse populations, healthcare professionals can provide quality, equitable care. Education, advocacy, and practical tools, like Mukwende’s quiz and Health Equity Course, are essential in dismantling systemic disparities in healthcare.
Health equity isn’t just an industry buzzword; it’s necessary to ensure all patients receive quality health care. If you’re a medical professional or student committed to improving patient care, start by taking the quiz and consider enrolling in the course. Small steps like these contribute to a larger movement toward an inclusive and effective healthcare system for all.