Do you feel respected when you visit your eye care professional? It is important that each patient is treated with dignity and feels they’re being heard when visiting any healthcare provider. Unfortunately, patients in certain racial and ethnic groups are reporting that they do not always feel this way. Learn more about the findings from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) on how people of different backgrounds feel about their interactions with eye care professionals. 

What The Researchers Did

Researchers from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor drew data from the NHIS, which polls a nationally representative population of noninstitutionalized adults in the United States. 

The NHIS included data on 5,343 adults with self-reported eye diseases, including glaucoma. 

The researchers analyzed demographic data and participants’ responses to two questions: 

• Do you feel respected by clinicians?
• Were you asked about your beliefs or opinions?

Previous data has shown that being asked about opinions and beliefs was associated with feeling respected by clinicians among patients. 

What They Found

Of the 5,343 participants, 349 identified as Hispanic and 842 identified as Black, Asian, or multiple/other races. They comprised approximately 21% of the cohort. 

Using adjusted multivariable modeling, researchers discovered participants in racial and ethnic minority groups were less likely to report that their clinicians “always” asked about their opinions and beliefs compared to non-Hispanic Whites (29.25% vs. 40.62%). Moreover, minority group patients were less likely to feel their clinicians respected them compared to non-Hispanic Whites. (74.68% vs. 79.21%).

What it Means

This limited self-reported data supports the need for future studies to examine the correlation between race and ethnicity and being treated with respect, as well as its implications for outcomes. Researchers believe future studies should limit generalized questions and include specific questions about patient experiences with eye care professionals.

“If patients feel that they are not being treated with respect by their clinician, respect disparities will persist because research has shown that patients who feel that they have been disrespected by their clinician are more likely to wait to receive medical care and less likely to listen to the advice of their clinician,” researchers wrote. “Clinicians should understand that respect is not just associated with being nice to their patients, but also engaging with their patients and valuing them.”

*VanDewater, K. (2022, January 12). Eye patients™ perception of clinician respect varies by race, ethnicity. Healio. https://www.healio.com/news/optometry/20220112/eye-patients-perception-of-clinician-respect-varies-by-race-ethnicity