The submissions for this assignment are posts in the assignment's discussion.

Below are the

discussion posts for Kristine Lopez, or you can view the full discussion.
from Chapter 4 Discussion: The problem with race-based medicine
Nov 2, 2023 9:12PM
Kristine Lopez
The speaker explains how doctors are using race as a shortcut. She
explains how race is used as a proxy, however it’s a bad proxy to use
since it provides no relevant information and “blinds” doctors from
patient symptoms. Treating a patient with a medical condition mainly
based off race doesn’t seem logical and can actually hurt the patient
even more. There are so many factors that goes into a person who is
sick and being treated for a medical condition, like personal and family
medical history, personal symptoms. Using a shortcut like race to
treat or determine a diagnosis for a person can actually cause more
harm to that person or even misdiagnose the patient. She explains
how using a race proxy in healthcare can leave patients of color
especially vulnerable to harmful biases and stereotypes. It’s important
for doctors and healthcare providers to stop using this harmful race
driven way of practicing medicine, they need to focus on the individual
and their specific symptoms and history rather than making
assumptions and diagnoses based on race.

from Chapter 4 Discussion: The problem with race-based medicine

Nov 5, 2023 11:46AM
Kristine Lopez
Hi Hailey,

I agree, generalizing traits and symptoms and diagnosis base on race is very wrong, it’s very
poor care on the healthcare providers end for using these shortcuts in treating and diagnosing
patients. Every single person is different whether they’re from the same race or a different one.
Everyone should be treated as an individual and treated specifically based on there symptoms
and personal and family health history.

from Chapter 4 Discussion: The problem with race-based medicine

Nov 5, 2023 11:51AM
Kristine Lopez
Hi Randall,

The fact that healthcare professionals use this proxy of treating patients based on race and
stereotyping and generalizing patients as a whole rather than individuals is so wrong and
troubling. Every person and their bodies are different and so are their symptoms and their
personal and family health history. Everyone should have equal access to good healthcare but
also be treated as an individual rather than being treated for an issue based on their race.