HEALTH EQUITY IN PAIN MANAGMENT DURING THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC: HOW STEREOTYPES, RACISM, BIAS HARM VULNERABLE POPULATIONS

Abstract

Bias and stereotypes around race, gender, sexuality, and class have been concepts that have and continue to plague medicine. Whether conscious or not, physicians have demonstrated bias when prescribing opioids to Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) populations. These patients deserve proper pain control. In 2021, the CDC stated 75,673 people died in the United States from opioid overdose. Because of this, the medical community has an obligation to treat every patient equally and fairly regardless of their skin color or background. With the nature of pain as it is, there exists no clinical, objective measurement of pain. Currently, vulnerable populations, such as individuals with obstacles to self-advocacy, are being left to suffer through pain crises. Additional oversight and inclusion of healthcare equity is needed to combat this unethical gap in patient care. There are numerous ways to create pain management equity, in terms of conversations around pain along with the proper distribution of pain medication, especially opiates. The way to do this is through conversation and discussions around systemic racism and implicit bias. These can take the form of rounds or group discussions within a healthcare setting. There are many ways to combat this bias, but among the first should be discussion.